Then Comes Marriage
by tterrafirma
Summary: After returning to the village, he thought marriage would be like a long-term mission with his favorite partner. Wrong. Jealousy messes up any relationship, the Uchiha quickly discovers. Slightly AU. Sasusaku main. Naruhina and other side pairings.
1. Chapter 1

_Black hair crashed against rosy pink and their lips found each other. His breath hitched and a smile formed on her face as she looked into his eyes. Hope sat in those onyx eyes, not hate. And nothing in her screamed so loudly as the pride that came from knowing she had a hand in it. His own heart beat louder, thumping in his throat. Would it be like this every time they kissed?_

The memory ended as Sasuke heard his new wife call out his name again in exasperation. "Sasuke-kun," she pouted, her bottom lip hanging out.

"Sorry," he replied as his wife led him through the hotel room they were staying in.

"Are we going to the festival tonight?" she called, glancing back at him bright-eyed.

"Aa." Itachi had told Sasuke that the pinkette would probably like the fireworks festival this small town put on in late July and Sasuke jumped at the opportunity to make his wife smile on their honeymoon. A frown snaked its way onto his face. Itachi knew all too well what Sakura would like, though Sasuke for the life of him struggled to even guess well some days.

"What is it?" she asked, her bright eyes looking confusedly up at him. Tentatively, she stepped closer until he felt her pressing up against him.

Sasuke scratched his head and looked away, feeling suddenly nervous. He couldn't let on that he was jealous of his brother, especially not on his honeymoon. He had to focus on what was obvious- Sakura chose him. She loved him. She-

Was kissing him. He kissed her back, pushing all feelings of jealousy aside. "When did you realize you liked me?" she asked him for the umpteenth time.

Emotions roiled up in him as he replied, "When I left the village."

"Then why did you leave?" Sakura's eyes dimmed in brightness and her familiar pout took up residence on her face again.

He was silent. There was no doubting now that his teammates had grown inside Konoha's borders, that they had become strong, and that they hadn't had to sell their souls to do so. But it all seemed too impossible when he was young. He supposed the situation was manipulated to seem that way, but there was no changing the past.

"Sorry," the pinkette's shoulders sank. "I know you-"

Sasuke grabbed her sad shoulders and kissed the top of her head. One day, he would put all of those impossible feelings into words. Only for her. Always only for her.

* * *

The lanterns hung at every booth corner lit up the rocky road in reds and oranges. Drums beat in the distance to music only those closer would recognize. Cicadas chirped in competition with each other, each note louder than the one prior. Children scampered around in traditional dress and their parents smiled at the prospect of having some time to just talk. All sorts of smells bombarded the festival goer into forking out money to buy the enticing treats.

Sasuke wasn't overly interested in the sights, though- he had his set on his wife. She had grinned up at him with pleading eyes and he acquiesced, as usual. Her right arm tightly held the hammer she was to hit the ground with in hopes of ringing the bell. He knew her trick.

She had three tries, and the booth owner underestimated her. They always did, just like he had in battle once. Never again, he cringed and shook himself inwardly. Sakura's small arms flung the hammer down once, as light as a feather. A child could've hit harder. The second time, she swung with rising power, but not intensely so. A genin's strength. The third time, however, she threw half of her might into it without chakra's support and the ball leapt up to the bell, ringing it loudly for the booth owner to hear.

Sasuke could tell the man's ears burned red from being tricked, but obligation bade him to hand the pink haired woman an overstuffed bear.

Said woman had a skip in her step as she clung to the bear with one arm and her husband with another.

* * *

Happy hours passed by as the couple made their way around the town, visiting nearly every booth. Sasuke had only intimidated one shopkeeper with Sharingan so far, much to Sakura's delight. And Sasuke's face crept into a smirk to see her flash her wedding ring proudly in response to the stranger's advances. A slight blush burned the back of his neck every time he saw the medic with his mother's wedding ring. It burned even more furiously when she squeezed his arm particularly tightly in response to something he "just had to see."

He then felt that familiar squeeze on his arm and turned to see whatever his wife was pointing at. The crowd had emptied the square, leaving them and a few booth tenders busily closing up shop as the only ones occupying the area.

"I think the fireworks are starting." Sakura grinned like a child as she pulled him in the direction of the noise only to hear the evidence of her claim.

Simultaneously, their heads turned upwards to see the bright flashes in the sky. Sasuke grabbed her hand and was about to lead her towards the site when someone tapped on his shoulder.

"You can see the display even better from the rooftops," an old woman smiled. "The villagers don't mind much- trust me."

Sakura thanked the woman and Sasuke took the opportunity to surprise his wife when he scooped her into his arms and leapt onto a nearby house. The red-faced Sakura nearly protested when her attention was caught up again in the firework display going on in the nighttime sky. Vibrant reds, royal purples, and verdant greens splayed into circles and occasionally flower shapes as _booms_ ands _hisses_ cried into the air.

A great flurry of activity played out for several minutes in what Sasuke guessed was the finale. The end of the festival was the display, and that also marked then end of the couple's time away from the village. He nearly sighed until he realized Sakura had curled into him, placing her hand on his chest. He pulled her closer. A real smile softened his features and he closed his eyes, hoping the moment would last just a little longer for the both of them.

That is, until an angry voice screamed up at them. "Get off my roof! What do you think you're doing?"

"I guess the old lady lied," Sakura frowned, instantly sitting up and glowering. Her cherry blossom decked kimono wrinkled as she took to her feet with Sasuke's help.

"Hn." In one swift motion, he wrapped his arm around his wife and teleported them into their hotel room.

Sakura frowned a rare frown, her forehead crinkling. The yin seal seemed to call to Sasuke, so he leaned in to kiss it. A small giggle escaped his wife's lips.

"What?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Thank you for this week." Her eyes glimmered tiredly, and it seemed as if the fireworks were still playing over and over in her head.

"Thank you for being my wife," Sasuke shrugged, changing from his festival attire into his nightclothes.

Sakura followed suit and continued, "No, really, Sasuke-kun, it's been all too fun. How'd you come up with all of this?"

His frown returned, but he wouldn't face his wife and rain on her parade. Without a word, he climbed into bed.

She turned around to see him pull the cord on his lamp, effectively telling her good night. Sakura sighed. "I love you," she whispered. Most everything was wonderful with Sasuke. Some things, however, she couldn't figure out. He had always been moody, but she chalked that up to the horrible atrocities that had occurred in his childhood. No one ever should have gone through that.

At times she still couldn't believe how Itachi and Sasuke had made up after all that happened, but nothing could really surprise her anymore. One of her best friends was in line to become Hokage. She was married to her first love. Sometimes, questioning what felt like a dream just seemed like pinching yourself. If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.

In the weeks leading up to her wedding, she had sought out her soon to be brother-in-law's company. Sasuke had been on so many missions in those days that she was worried he was going to miss their own wedding day, but his older brother soothed all of her nerves on that subject. Always the optimist, the former missing-nin had ruffled her hair like Kakashi had when she was a genin.

Sighing, she realized a lot of her old fears had come back when Sasuke was busy with those missions. Worries that he had left her always hung in the back of her head.

She had no idea, however, that her husband's head swam with paralyzing thoughts of inadequacy and jealousy due to her visits with his beloved older brother.

No, the couple had a lot of work to do.


	2. Chapter 2

"Sasuke-kun, are you okay?" A bright-eyed medic asked her husband.

"Aa," he replied, holding tightly onto his arm. Blood oozed out slowly from a shallow wound a tree branch had cut into him. A lazy trickle stained his white shirt.

The village was a few days' travel away from the town they had been staying in, but the couple didn't have days to return. Their allotted time off had only been a week and come sundown, Sakura was bound to be called into the hospital for surgery. Thinking quickly, Sasuke decided to ride an ox cart as far as it would take them and they could run the rest of the way back. It had gone well until a wayward branch clamored its way into the cart, slicing his arm and scratching his face.

He was thoroughly annoyed.

The pinkette reached her arm across the cart to touch his. "Sasuke-kun, I can heal-"

"I'm fine, Sakura," he grumped. "There's only a little while longer before the driver said we'd be there, anyway. Conserve your chakra for your shift."

The pout found its way back to her face and she looked out the window on her side. Sasuke watched as her eyes lit up only a few minutes later. Either they were nearly home or he was going to need to pull out his wallet.

It was the former, he knew, as soon as the cart lurched to a halt and a gruff voice called out, "Sir!"

Sakura quickly in a fluid motion to her husband's side as the driver opened the door. Sasuke offered his hand to the pinkette as they exited and paid the driver, who promptly skirted off. Looking around, the Uchiha realized he had no real idea of where he was. His wife, however, was still bubbling excitedly.

"Only half an hour's walk!" she called, climbing over tree roots in front of him as he blankly stared. He came to his senses and followed suit.

Strange, covered holes in the ground spoke to Orochimaru's presence here in ages past and Sasuke's mind roved to remember whether he had been to that secret base. Deciding no was the answer, he set his focus on what was ahead after tripping over a wayward vine. His face twitched into a scowl as he groaned inwardly at the annoyance.

* * *

Sakura, leading the way, felt her excitement boil over inside of her as the familiar red gates welcomed her home. No matter where she had gone in her life, the same scene greeted her every time with a pleasant sense of normalcy that she had grown to love. A giggle nearly escaped her when she realized that the same could soon be said to her husband coming home to her.

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow at her shuddering frame, unsure of the circumstances. His eyes turned upward, though, and he found an unchecked grin growing on his face when he realized a welcoming party had formed for the two of them.

A tall, black haired man with flitting, uncertain eyes waved at the couple. Loud-mouthed blondes shouted greetings. A white eyed woman tentatively waved in response to the shouting.

A childlike innocence overtook Sakura and despite her training, she felt tears threaten to push forward. Without realizing it, she had missed all of these people and this village so desperately.

Sasuke's eyes were trained on the ponytailed man, however, and his confusion returned at seeing his brother. Wasn't he still on probation? His fists balled as he hoped his precious niisan wasn't there to see the medic who ran in front of him.

"Sakura-chan! Sasuke! It's been forever," Naruto yelled as they crossed the village's threshold.

"It's been a week," Sasuke mumbled, glancing at the blonde. Years of teamwork had led them to understanding, but that friendship included raining on each other's parade.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun, lighten up," Sakura laughed, grabbing hold of her husband's shoulder. "I'm sure you missed him, too."

Two scenes, from there, occurred simultaneously:

"Nii-san, what're you doing here?"

"What, I can't see my little brother and his wife's return?"

"Sakura, how was the festival? Tell me all about it! What kind of flowers did the town have?"

"Ino, you know I don't pay attention to that kind of thing."

"Oh, um, I also hoped y-you could t-tell us about the flowers. They're s-so much fun t-to press. I forgot about them o-once in a b-book and found them y-years later."

"Hinata-chan, I still think you're weird sometimes."

"N-naruto-kun..."

"I'm not saying you shouldn't be here, but shouldn't you clear something up with someone-?"

"Why would I 'clear anything up?' I am a ward of this village just as much as you are."

"I know, but your crimes-" Sasuke reeled, trying to focus among all the discussion. His thoughts were set on keeping his wife away from the man in front of him, and temporary success didn't mean he would ultimately win.

"What about my crimes?" Itachi asked.

The other conversation had ceased, leaving only the elder Uchiha's sentence to be heard. It carried through the wind, seemingly, and the other three visitors quickly bade Sakura goodbye with some half-baked excuse. The pinkette turned to see her husband and brother-in-law at verbal odds with each other, neither willing to relent. She sighed.

The men turned towards her. "Sakura-san, you must be tired," Itachi smiled.

"I-"

"We're fine, thanks," Sasuke replied, cutting her off. He grabbed her wrist gently and pulled her towards the Uchiha compound.

Itachi followed, his own lodging next door to the couple's.

Sasuke's pace quickened; his brother matched it. What Itachi didn't copy, however, was the growing rage inside of Sasuke and his increasingly intense hold on Sakura's wrist.

"Sasuke-kun, stop," she pleaded after finally losing blood flow to her left hand.

He released her immediately and, with a muttered apology, he teleported away.

Sakura clutched one hand inside the other, both coaxing blood to return to it and as a show of sadness. She jumped when she felt a large hand on her shoulder.

Sympathetic eyes met hers. "I'm sorry, Sakura-san-"

She smiled weakly in reply. "Call me Sakura."

An idea dawned on the elder Uchiha and he shook his head. "Is Imōto alright with you?"

The pinkette's smile grew.

The tall man offered his arm to the comparatively small kunoichi. "Let me walk you home, Imōto."

* * *

Stupid- _punch_ - Itachi. Stupid- _punch_- emotions. Stupid- the throw never came. Sasuke sensed a certain pink haired woman's chakra signature in the training field behind him. He half waited for her hug to come, even her scream, but they never did.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He unclenched his fists.

"What's wrong?"

He nearly turned his head to explain everything, but sensed another chakra signature. The face that soon appeared matched the signature and he felt his hands ball up tighter than they had been.

Sakura cringed. "Sasuke-kun, please, just talk to me."

"Talk to you?" his voice was more acidic than he intended. "Hmph." After seeing her eyes widen in shock, the Uchiha turned back to the dummy and nearly began to take his renewed frustrations out on it.

His brother stopped him. Physically, this time. "Little brother, please listen to your wife. She's not trying to hurt you."

_But you are_, Sasuke thought, his eyes shutting themselves tightly as his fists. "Leave, Itachi."

The elder Uchiha disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The younger turned to his still-shocked wife. Her outer shell, full of spunk and vigor, had shed, revealing a girl not too unlike her genin self. With great chagrin, Sakura realized tears were falling from her face. Sasuke tended to do that to her.

Inwardly, he beat himself up. Nothing would change his feelings for her- he vowed that in front of everyone important to him just a week ago. No amount of time, outside sources, or inward change could tamper with his love for her.

But he had no idea about his wife, he had to admit. Her firecracker personality melted under pressure. Would she change her mind as time passed? Cautiously, as if approaching a paper bomb, Sasuke walked over to Sakura and wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in the best show of love he could muster with the doubts plaguing his mind. He added "I'm sorry" for emphasis, but he wasn't sure it was necessary.

Sakura returned his embrace, standing on her tiptoes to cry into his collarbone. Burying her face in his neck, she wept bitterly. She could feel a gentle tug and with that she let Sasuke pull her to the ground so she would be more comfortable. No matter how confusing her husband was sometimes, he was still hers. A smile crept up inside of her, but she refused to let it show. She wanted just a little more attention before she would let her husband let go, and her tears ceasing to fall would end that.

After a moment had passed, Sasuke realized Sakura was putting on theatrics and he pulled his face away to look at her. She blinked guiltily up at him and his stomach flopped. What was going on now?

* * *

**A/N**_: Thank you everyone who read the first chapter of this and my one-shot. I hope to get these chapters up pretty soon after each other, but if I set dates I'll never meet them. Review, I beg you! I love to read your responses! _


	3. Chapter 3

"Haruno-sensei," a young medic called, eyes cloudy and scared. "Your husband- I saw him earlier today-"

The young man was interrupted by a sharp elbow to the ribs delivered by another budding doctor. This one, a young female with dark eyes, glared fiercely at his attempts.

The pinkette made no sign that she heard, so the dark eyed woman asked, smile curling her lip, "Uchiha-sensei?"

"Yes?"

The medics squabbled quietly before their teacher turned around, imposing though shorter than both of them. "I don't have time if you're going to be messing around. What did you need?"

"The patient on floor three-" the woman started.

"-Hatake Kakashi!" the man interrupted, vying to be included.

Sakura's eyes narrowed. "What about him?"

"He returned from a mission, and-"

"-complained of blindness," a different voice piped up.

The pinkette's smile grew. "Shishou!"

The Hokage smirked quickly back at her pupil then turned away, leading Sakura to her new patient.

"Sensei, what are we going to do with you?" The young medic asked her gray haired teacher as she entered his room.

His visible eye crinkled at the edges and a hint of a smile could be seen under his mask. "Congratulations again," he evaded her question tactfully.

Putting her hand to her hip, Sakura took out the clipboard at the end of his bed and began to read off of it. "How long has the- blindness?" She glanced up at the man before her.

He pointed to his left eye and stared.

"Ahh. I understand." Leaning over, she inspected his eye more closely.

"You're only a fuzzy shadow," he admitted.

"You've overtaxed yourself, Sensei," she pouted.

The way she fussed at him made him want to ruffle her hair. At times, Sakura was cold and professional, but she always resumed an air of familiarity with her teammates when they found themselves in the hospital. "You always told me I would someday." She was out of his right eye's vision now, but he swore a frown was plastered on her pretty face. "I just didn't listen to the doctor's orders, I suppose."

This elicited a response, though not what he expected.

"Lay back," she murmured, putting the clipboard down with dull disinterest.

He obeyed and waited until he felt the gradual surge of another's chakra pour into him. Most medics had difficulty controlling the stream, making it unpleasant for the patient, but Sakura's chakra was a peaceful river that only soothed. It felt as if he'd rested a month in just a few minutes and what had been blurry blobs of sight now was an interpretable mass. Her pink hair swayed as she worked in silence.

Kakashi wished he had the words to say to her- he'd overheard villagers talking about the Uchiha brothers' argument earlier. Struggling to find something to say, he picked over several possible phrases until he decided to stick with simplicity. "How's Sasuke?"

He'd hit a nerve. "Well," Sakura started. Kakashi could hear her swallow. "He's adjusting, I think."

"And you? Are you _adjusting_ as well?"

"Yeah. Well, I think that's all I can do for now."

Her form took definite shape as she her mouth turned up into a forced smile.

Kakashi frowned. "You know you can always talk to me," he offered, hopeful. No matter the fact that they were now in their twenties, the man still felt an obligation to help his former students. They were precious to him.

Sakura's eyes dropped and she sighed tiredly. "Rest up and I'll be back to check on you in a few hours."

"I'll be here," he waved.

* * *

Sasuke's sleep was fitful and riddled with darkness. Before, he woke up in a cold sweat when he had a nightmare and could quickly calm down.

Now, his senses were dulled as if drugged and he took minutes to sort out reality from dream. A creeping suspicion rooted in his stomach. No. He shook his head. There was no way Tsukiyomi could be affecting him now. Sighing, he looked at the clock. Six. He pushed off the mat and pulled the blanket back to its original place. There was a certain brother he needed to see before his wife got home.

* * *

Itachi found his sleep being broken by noises next door. He imagined his younger brother was bothered by something, but for the thrashing to be that loud, there must be an intruder. After barely being allowed to stay in the village due to public fear, the Hokage riskily allowed the Uchiha to keep his sword. He reached for it now and prepared mentally to go and help his brother with whatever issue there was, but the noise died down suddenly.

This scared Itachi. Who could it be that Sasuke was stopped immediately? He calmed himself and stood to his feet, sword unsheathed, and took measured steps to the door. A thought dawned on, him, however, that stilled his footfalls. Sakura could have returned and surprised his younger brother. Laughing, he recalled what a light sleeper Sasuke was, and returned to his bed.

Moments later, just as sleep was nearing him again, he heard a rapping at the door. Perhaps the medic wanted him over for breakfast? They had done that several times, all at her invitation, to calm her nerves when Sasuke was away. Itachi thought it might be misinterpreted, but the pinkette seemed so desperate to connect that he couldn't refuse her.

Instead, he found himself realizing why his brother fell in love with the girl. She was clever and smart, but tempered with enough insecurities that she couldn't be considered proud. Her firecracker attitude left no one wondering anything, which Itachi knew would be good for his brother. The girl was stubborn to a fault, generous exceeding even that, and kind beyond reproach. In the week before her wedding, however, she was reduced to a simpering mess of worry that Itachi couldn't help but help.

His door slid open without him attending to it and he was about to call out a greeting when his eyes met his younger brother's.

"Good morning, Otōto," he called, turning towards his stove. "Is your wife home yet? Would you like to join me for tea?"

Sasuke's thoughts turned sarcastic, but he decided for Sakura's sake he'd try nice first. "Tea sounds fine."

"What's bothering you?" Itachi asked glancing back at his brother.

"What happened between you and Sakura?" As he said it, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed. What if it was a misunderstanding?

What if it wasn't?

"The breakfasts?"

"Breakfast?" Sasuke asked, his mind dragging him through the depths of what the word could mean. He never was so angry at a meal in his lifetime.

"Yes, we-"

The elder Uchiha was interrupted by the whining of the kettle on the stovetop and a knock at the door. He addressed the boiling water and left the door for his brother.

"Sakura, why are you here?" Sasuke asked.

"You weren't next door and I heard noises over here," she yawned. Her eyes looked tired and all he wanted to do was kiss her. He did.

She yawned during the kiss and smiled sleepily. "Good morning."

The two returned to the kitchen and found three cups of tea poured. One, the ponytailed man was drinking out of. The other two belonged to the couple.

"Thank you," Sakura smiled as she lifted the glass towards Itachi.

Sasuke silently did the same.

A few minutes of shared silence and tea sipping later and Sakura had fallen asleep on the low table.

Sasuke sighed and Itachi smiled.

"What were you saying earlier, Otōto?"

His resolve dwindled. If his wife woke, she would be angry no matter whether her intentions were pure or not. He would have to wait until she had another shift at the hospital. "Thanks for the tea," he muttered, collecting his wife in his arms and plodding over to the door.

His older brother quickly opened it and Sasuke felt the draft of air as it closed behind him. He peered down at the sleeping woman in his arms as he carried her inside their home. A smile fought its way onto his face, but he fought harder. He had no idea whether after only a week of marriage his wife was having second thoughts.

Seeing her sleep so peacefully made him have second thoughts of going to train and leaving her. An ink creature bit his hand, however, and he slapped it, startled. It disappeared in a blob at his side, the note it carried not yet stained. Realization hit him and he read the scrawl he recognized faintly- _Ugly, Traitor-san, congratulations on your marriage. Come by Ichiraku to receive your gift around eleven a.m._

Sasuke scowled. Traitor? He supposed he deserved the title, but how in the world could one construe Sakura as ugly?

A faint snore came from the offended's direction and he turned when he felt her hand grab sleepily his shirt. The clock read seven thirty. Let her sleep.

* * *

**A/N: **_Thanks for your continued readership! Reviews are super appreciated. _


	4. Chapter 4

The clock had changed its mind several times before he decided to wake the sleeping beauty up. No matter what he could have been doing, Sasuke decided that letting his tired wife hold him wasn't such a bad way to pass time. Plus, he smirked, her reaction at waking up wrapped up in each other still reflected that she forgot they were married, and that meant a flustered Sakura.

A flustered Sakura was a kissable one.

So he lay beside her with his hand gently tugging through her tangled, wavy tresses. But the clock's mind had settled on the hour being nine, and no matter what time she got home, Sasuke knew his wife would dislike sleeping in. At the same time, though, he wanted her reaction to be natural, so he lightly fingered her ticklish ribcage and waited.

He didn't have to wait long. Her eyes popped open and bugged out at his proximity. She knew Sasuke would be furious if he were awake and thought she-

Wait. He was awake. And laughing- or at least his version of laughing. She quirked her eyebrow up until reality dawned on her. Sakura decided payback would be pushing him off the bed.

"Good morning," he called from the floor.

"Morning. How did I get here, exactly?" she asked, rubbing her head. "I thought we were at your brother's."

"Were. You fell asleep and I carried you."

Her face flushed at the casualty of his words. She still wasn't used to this side of Sasuke- even in their dating years he was still distant. Not as much as with everyone else, of course, but he never would say anything so bluntly.

His back hurt against their hardwood flooring, but he finally grasped what Naruto had discovered all those years ago: pranks could be fun, especially when directed at pinkheaded medics with supposedly large foreheads.

"I'm going to take a shower," she grumped, and Sasuke smirked lightly as he saw her face appear over the side of the bed. "I have blood on me."

"Whose?" His eyebrows twitched at the thought of her hurt again.

"I work in the hospital, darling," she snarked, pushing off of the bed. "I don't know whose."

* * *

"And we're supposed to meet him why again, exactly?" Sakura looked up at him with confused eyes.

"The note told me to meet Sai at Ichiraku's at eleven," Sasuke shrugged.

"What note?"

He sighed. Perhaps throwing the evidence away wasn't his best-thought plan.

"And why us-"

The Uchiha shrugged again as they saw the ramen stall come into sight. A skinny, tall, dark haired man stood in front of the restaurant. Sasuke silently questioned what kind of man this really was. His replacement, he knew, but whether it was because of a revealed midriff or a plastered smile on his face, Sasuke couldn't find a lick of resemblance between he and Sai besides their dark hair. How could Naruto and Sakura let someone replace him, he wondered. His mind darkened at the thought that he had done the same thing, even though it felt like a lifetime ago.

"Ah, Traitor-san. Ugly. I'm glad to see you showed up."

Sasuke never would understand this man standing opposite him, but his wife apparently did well enough.

"Sai, why did you want us here?"

"Did the traitor not tell you?"

"Not really," she shrugged.

"How like him," the man smiled brightly.

Sakura's face wrinkled. "Get on with it."

Sai dug in his pack and held out a scroll to the two of them.

Curiously, Sakura took it and unrolled it. Black ink markings bundled together and flashed the scroll away, leaving only a beautiful portrait of the couple holding hands. Though her ears burned, knowing this meant Sai tailed them on a date, she couldn't help but squeal in happiness.

Her husband was impressed and took the painting from his wife while she hugged the man. Strangely enough, no jealousy panged in the Uchiha to see her wrap her arms around Sai.

Instead, he focused on the detail of the piece- Sakura's eyes were just the right shade of green and her hair the exact length of a couple months ago. The turns of her lips were precise. No, jealous was not the right emotion Sasuke felt about this man who could capture his wife's essence so beautifully. Confusion was.

"What's the title?" Sakura asked. It sounded to Sasuke's ears like an inside joke.

Sai's response confirmed his suspicions. "Like I told you, I never title my works. But," he paused, "You could-"

"Hey, Sasuke, Sakura-chan!" a bright, blond voice called.

Sai nodded politely to the couple and went on his way.

"What is it, Dobe?"

"We have a mission tomorrow!" he yelled even though he now stood next to them.

Sakura covered her ears and frowned. "Calm down, Naruto, you don't have to be so loud!"

"But you just yelled-"

"Enough; what's the mission about?" Sakura placed her hands on her hips.

"Granny Tsunade told me we'd find out more in the morning."

"Is Kakashi joining us?"

"I doubt it, Sasuke-kun," Sakura replied.

Both men looked at her, confused.

"He was in the hospital last night."

* * *

Sasuke didn't expect Sakura to work a shift at the hospital that night, but when he found her place in bed empty the next morning, he wasn't surprised._ Probably visiting Kakashi before we leave,_ he decided. He made up the bed and flipped the alarm clock off. There was no need for it. His feet tamped quietly on the ground and he slid the door open and closed again, slowly making his way to the kitchen.

He was greeted by the smell of sausage and eggs and the sound of his wife's humming. He catalogued it in his memory, wanting to hold onto the moment forever and let it simply play out before him. He hadn't woken up to breakfast, except on missions, for over a decade. In fact, Sakura waking up before him was just as strange.

But she sensed his presence and broke his reverie. "Good morning," she smiled.

"What are you doing?"

She pouted at him, foot tapping and hands on her hips- one hand held a spatula. The askew bandana atop her head and sloppily tied apron around her waist cemented the memory in his mind.

"Good morning," he corrected, and her visage changed back to smiles._ If only everything was that eas_y, he thought. After walking over to the stove, he wrapped his arms lazily around her middle and stood there behind her. His words may never be able to say how he felt about her, but he wanted to make up for it in actions. Words made his tongue go numb and stick listlessly to the roof of his mouth, but joining her in the kitchen to cut up vegetables and kissing her goodnight were easy.

She stuck her elbows into his arms and pushed, telling him without words to go away. He was confused. "What'd I do?" he asked genuinely.

"This is supposed to be a surprise, Sasuke-kun."

A smile worked itself onto him and he kissed her temple after releasing her. "Aa." He plopped bread into the toaster and took to setting the table. Grabbing Sakura's favorite jelly from the fridge, he sat down. He liked his toast plain.

She walked over a minute later and set the entrees down.

It was then he noticed how her eyes seemed puffy. Reddened by sadness. Sasuke knew Sakura wished she could keep her emotions out of things, but he liked her frankness at times. He put his hand on hers. "Thank you."

He saw her eyes flash with sadness at the reminder of that night all those years ago. He quickly amended, "for breakfast."

She nodded gingerly. "You're welcome."

After time passed and the only thing left on their plates were crumbs, he asked, "What's the matter?"

She looked steadily to her plate, never even glancing up at him. If she said nothing, he was preparing a quick reply to let her knew he knew something was-

"I wish I could help," she sighed.

"Help? With what?" His mind dug through its depths to determine whether he'd expressed a need but nothing stuck out to him. "Help whom?"

"Kakashi-sensei," she replied, finally looking at him with the sullenness of a scorned child.

He released a breath he didn't know he was holding. "I'll help you figure something out during our mission," he suggested. "It's his vision, right?"

"Mhm. He couldn't see me just yesterday when I went in to take care of him."

"Blindness?" Sasuke was surprised. He didn't think his old sensei used the dojustsu enough to warrant the reaction.

"Yeah. I thought I'd ask Itachi if he'd ever experienced similar symptoms."

His eyes narrowed. "I've got the Sharingan, too," he frowned.

"Not Mangekyo," she reminded.

Sasuke let his eyes spin into red and pushed them further until his wife's shock made him stop. He was being cruel at this point. "Sorry-"

"When did that happen?" Sakura demanded. "You never told me-"

"I never needed to. I'm less than proud of the circumstances," he explained.

"Go on." Her arms were folded. She was cross. He wouldn't be getting out if this one.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned back into his chair. "When I was with Hebi, our goal was to kill Itachi. However," he looked away from his wife's intent gaze, "I heard rumors from an unknown source that Itachi wasn't what he appeared. I didn't believe them, of course, and attacked him with all I had when we met. He was on death's door when I confronted him about it."

Sakura knew the rest and reached for her husband's hand.

He let her. His rage burned, thinking that maybe he'd made a mistake in letting Itachi live. Especially if he really was after Sakura's heart._  
_

Sharp rappings on the door preceded Naruto forcing it open.

"Have you ever heard of knocking?" Sasuke moved to stand in front of Sakura. He didn't want his teammate to share in knowing her domesticity.

"I did," the blond replied, smile enveloping his face. "Granny said she wanted us at her office pronto. That means you need to put on pants," he laughed.

Sasuke frowned and crossed his arms. "We'll be there."

"Good," Naruto laughed. "See you two honeymooners later!" He disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving the two Uchihas alone.

"He didn't even notice the painting," Sakura frowned. "I thought putting it in front of the entrance would mean people would."

"Naruto's an idiot," Sasuke smirked, trying to console his pouting wife. "When was the last time he noticed something?"

* * *

Naruto sneezed. Rubbing his nose, he smiled as the Hokage asked, "Someone talking about you?"

He shrugged, his grin still evident.

"Maybe your wife?"

He rubbed the reddening back of his neck.

Tsunade's countenance changed. "Where's the Uchiha brat and Sakura?"

"Technically, they're both Uchiha," a quiet jonin said.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto jumped. "When did you get here?"

"Astute as ever," Sasuke joked.

"You'll need to hone your sensing abilities if you ever want to be Hokage," Sakura smirked, her hand resting playfully on her hip.

"That's enough," Tsunade smiled, her eyes laughing despite her serious face. "Your mission is no joke. Intel has come in that Orochimaru's secret bases were recently reoccupied. We're still not sure whether it's him or one of his underlings, but we can't be too precautious."

"Don't worry, Baa-chan!" Naruto smiled wildly, his thumb lodged in the air. "We'll take care of it."

The Hokage laced her hands together and rested her chin on them. "I'll keep you to your word." Handing Kakashi a scroll with details, she asked, "Are you sure you're well enough to travel?"

"I was discharged from the hospital, yes? I'll manage."

"I'm expecting you to take care of these hooligans," Tsunade smiled at her once-apprentice. "Don't let me down."

"Of course, Shishou. I'll do my best."

"And you, Uchiha," the woman scowled, "behave."

Sasuke glared. "When have I not?"

Kakashi, sensing the atmosphere's change, waved his hands amicably. "We'll meet at the Gate around one, okay?" In response to a questioning glare from the medic, he laughed. "Yes, Sakura. I'll be on time. I'm...excited, I suppose."

With that, the men left the room and the couple made their way home to pack for their first married mission.

* * *

**A/N**: _Thanks for reading this chapter! If you liked it, please review! Your comments motivate me! Also, my other work has a similar style to it, so check it out, too. Thanks again!_


	5. Chapter 5

Kakashi hadn't lied; he was quite uncharacteristically five minutes early. Sakura and Sasuke had made their way to the Gate around fifteen minutes till and Naruto dragged in a few minutes after one.

The men waited a few choice moments for Sakura to assure herself she had every possible medical device she was allowed to carry. When she was properly sated by the bulging pack at her side, she absentmindedly scribbled a few symbols on a scroll and sealed the bag inside of it with a whirl.

Kakashi was impressed. His visible eye glanced her way as they took off. She was smug. Confident. He allowed himself a few minutes of proud thought on his old pupil until Sasuke, who was leading, stopped abruptly. Naruto, the tail end of their procession, bumped into the gray haired man's back.

"Sorry, Sensei," Naruto chuckled.

Kakashi nodded. What had this Uchiha so confused?

As if on cue, the man turned around to look his partners in the eye. "Do you sense that?"

"No," Naruto chimed.

Sakura looked at her husband quizzically and Kakashi shook his head.

Disgruntled, the black haired man turned around and continued on.

The verdant greens of the Fire Country's landscape were at their apex in the late summer months. Kakashi's mind roved over not for the first time how many times he'd seen this Konoha- one full of life and color and the leaves it was so famous for. His hitai-ite was shinier back when his first mission that dragged him out of the hustle and bustle of the city rolled around. Since then, how many times had he been out of the borders? How many times had his missions pulled him into other nations?

How many more times had his heart tugged him faithfully home when his head was too muddled with thoughts? He cringed, remembering unsatisfactorily one particular instance that still left him occasionally running water over his hands. Her blood would never truly wash away.

"Sensei?"

His eye turned towards the markedly shorter kunoichi who called to him. "Hm?"

"How's your vision been?"

The birds seemed to want to listen in. Their chirping noises dimmed and he returned his gaze to the path ahead. "No worse."

"You're not allowed to use Sharingan this mission," Sakura harrumphed. "Doctor's orders."

Kakashi knew she had no true control over his techniques, but he would be an idiot to go against her wishes. Sakura may have at one point been the weakest link, but she at the same time was the anchor itself. "Alright."

Her face brightened and she went back to softly humming along with the birds.

He chuckled to himself.

Sasuke shuddered. He was beginning to recognize where they were, and he didn't want to. The trademark trees of Konoha turned thinner, diseased, and darker. Curving in large arcs, they formed a sort of sinister tunnel at their meeting points. Their leaves weren't the bright and sunny deep green Sasuke had grown up seeing. No, they were the scenery that enveloped his teenage years in a dark blur, slurring his years into a shade he never wanted to relive. The Uchiha was no coward, but it didn't take much of this atmosphere to make his knees shake imperceptibly.

A snake slithered through the crunchy leaves underfoot and Sasuke crushed its head spitefully. He bent over, picked up the corpse, and analyzed it. It wasn't the Sannin's. Too scrawny a summon to belong to such a powerful man. He threw the reptile to the side and continued hopefully before his teammates could notice his throat closing from the memory of what he felt in one place similar to this one.

* * *

Sakura felt a shake in her blood. Her whole body seemed to be revolting against the entire underground fortress; she noticed a primal fear set in after climbing down the ladder into the long-abandoned base. Her comrades, however, seemed unflappable, and she determined to be even more so. Team Seven's only female was an important role. When fingertips brushed up against a dusty glass container, she gasped aloud.

Naruto turned her way. "What is it, Sakura-chan?"

She furiously scrubbed her gloved hand against the broken cylinder and her suspicions were confirmed. "This once held a human experiment," she fumed. Medical instinct aside, her morals told her nothing could be right about this. Surely Orochimaru had heard of the Hippocratic Oath? Her previously nervous blood began to boil.

Naruto remained silent, but she swore she heard him shake his head, shamed at the thought of what transpired in bases like this all across the shinobi world. All for the sake of power.

"This isn't where we were headed originally," Sasuke confessed, entering the electrifyingly quiet room. "But I decided it seemed suspicious. Keep your eyes pealed."

"Go keep yours on Kakashi," Sakura growled, dropping the honorific she always glued to the end of the man's name.

Sasuke stepped back, but obliged. She would tell him when she was ready. He turned to go, but Naruto caught his shoulder as he stepped in the stone doorway. The blond threw his thumb back toward the pinkette and whispered, "Lab rat tube."

The Uchiha nodded respectfully and both men left the woman to her indignation.

She spun around to lash out against the injustice of it all, but no one was there. Sighing, she vowed with fresh vigor to never let such atrocities occur when she was head medic.

* * *

Naruto found the human holding tanks in several other rooms. Each was darkened inside but he could see plastic tubes that likely would've suspended a test subject in some sort of liquid. He thought it was awful- he could only imagine the rage Sakura felt in her knowledge of medical practice. The blond recalled she felt that everyone was her patient as long as she was capable. They were alike in that way. He'd never reject helping someone, no matter how forgone they appeared.

But the shinobi had to admit Orochimaru had crossed that line. His mission was to hunt the snake-man if he was alive or stop the copycat if there was one. Too many 'what if's,' Naruto decided. His hands rifled through drawers and his eyes roved over their contents absently. One drawer, however, he couldn't simply pull. Locked. With a small amount of chakra and a smidgen more concentration, he firmly placed his foot on the wooden desk's lowest drawer and pulled on the one above it.

It came open and he realized it was simply overflowing, not locked.

And Naruto didn't like the contents one bit.

* * *

**A/N:** _Thanks for reading! Sorry it was shorter, I decided I needed to break the next part up into a different chapter altogether. Please review! I love to read feedback and often go rifling through people's stories when they interact with me :)_


	6. Chapter 6

Scrolls, a once-summoned snake, and a few bugs leapt immediately out of the drawer as soon as Naruto heaved it open. His hands flew to his face when he saw a human eye suspended in sterile liquid. The bottle was sealed- the date in permanent marker read half a decade ago, so Naruto knew it was probably long-past useful- and seemed sinister. Naruto shuddered audibly.

"What is it, Dobe?"

Naruto chose to examine the eye rather than respond, holding it up to the eerily glowing overhead light that occasionally flickered on.

Sasuke neared and flinched at the sight, turning away before he could properly look. Gore was never preferable when fighting; a clean death was always easier. It was his belief that he could at least give the fallen a final moment of pride to die intact. "Where'd you find that?"

The blond pointed.

Sasuke tamped over to the wooden desk, surprised at his friend's sudden silence. The man had scampered down the hall, taking every possible doorway to investigate. Sasuke had stood back and watched. But now, he had to take action to make up for Naruto. He knelt to the ground, touching the cold stone with his fingertips for support. His other hand grazed over scrolls, examining the titles of each before choosing. He settled on one in particular that seemed suspicious: Hosts.

The Uchiha knew he had once been next on the list, having taken Kimimaro's spot after the young man's virtually inevitable death. Steeling himself for what he might discover, he unrolled the parchment and scanned its contents. Nothing interesting, Sasuke thought a few moments later, and resumed his search for intel.

"I'm going to give this to Sakura-chan," Naruto murmured finally.

Sasuke nodded. Papers flew past him in a blur as he sorted through loose leaf and scroll. Nothing was too captivating, and the man had to justify this stop. He had to get the answer as to why his gut led him here.

Orochimaru only showed Sasuke a few of the human experiment bases in his tenure at Oto. This wasn't one of them, but they all resembled each other so thoroughly the man felt he'd seen it before. The same labyrinthine structure, the same stone floor, the same hard mud walls with patterns haphazardly yet beautifully carved in. Torches that were once lit lined those walls that Sasuke walked for years of his life.

He had to make use of that knowledge.

* * *

Kakashi silently wandered the darkly winding halls. He had been here before- long before- with Tenzo and under much different circumstances. The ANBU never ceased to amaze, but, Kakashi thought with a laugh, many said the same thing about him. All those years ago, a snake the height of the halls had burst from a human-sized beaker to attack the boys and their teamwork finally won out.

The sinking feeling in his stomach told him they might need that same effort this time around, too, and he put his guard up as best he could. When a giant burst of pent-up blond energy came bulldozing his way, he jumped.

"Sorry, Kakashi-sensei!"

The man's shoulders sank as his teammate sped into the distance, but his curiosity was piqued by the small, white-lidded jar the boy held. It reminded the jonin of the same container that was to hold his own eye.

He followed the sound of rushed footfalls long down the hallway until he sensed Sakura, Naruto's apparent destination.

"From five years ago," Sakura hummed, and Kakashi heard something thick thumping against skin as he rounded the corner into the room the two were in. "I wonder what use it was to-" she stopped.

"What, Sakura-chan?"

The medic had gone pale. "Naruto, did you look at the eye itself?"

He blushed, "Well, the lighting wasn't too good."

"It's a Sharingan eye," she gulped.

Kakashi took a step towards the medic and held his hand out.

Sakura obliged, and took to staring at Naruto's similarly blank face.

"Each Mangekyo is unique, so that would've helped us if it was," Kakashi muttered, glancing at the jarred eye's basic pattern. Soon, another chakra signature alerted him that the Uchiha had come to join them.

"Let's head out," Sasuke said quietly, peering at the three in the room. How many missions had they been on, just the three of them? "There wasn't much, but Naruto kicked open a desk and I found a scroll with several circled locations on it. They might be useful."

"Sasuke-kun, this base hasn't been inhabited in years. Those places likely won't be of any help. Plus," she paused, slowly closing the distance between her and her husband. "You'll want to see this." Meekly, the eye changed holders.

Sasuke kept his emotions inside nearly all the time, Sakura knew. His extreme moments of happiness were often visibly cut off as if his facial muscles no longer could smile for longer than a few seconds. They could handle smirks well, and frowns came naturally. His eyebrows easily quirked up or furrowed down when he chose to let them. But she had only seen such confusion on his face when he woke up in Konoha's hospital after the Fourth War ended.

"Was this-?" His voice cut off. Sakura reached to comfort him, but Sasuke turned around. "Did you hear that?"

Sakura had heard the strange creaking but pointedly ignored it. Snakes and such could slither strongly up against unwilling metal frames.

Kakashi nodded behind Sakura and strode to the door and beyond, his gray hair seemingly tilted further over than normal. Tired lines markedly streaked his eye's corner. Naruto followed their sensei out, and Sasuke trailed after him.

Sakura sighed something like "boys will be boys" and strode out.She trapsed down the hallway, hands balled and eyes set. Whatever Orochimaru had hidden in here, she wasn't going to take it lightly.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_!"

Her pace increased as she tightened her gloves on her hands. Blood trailed through the hallway, staining the sandy colored stone flooring.

_"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu_."

Just as she rounded the corner, her sandals wading the the now ankle-deep blood, she scanned the room. Burned glass from Sasuke's fire technique, broken shards littered the floor from Naruto's clones using taijustsu, and Kakashi's summoning dogs bit into a snake that barely fit inside the high-ceilinged room. Hands on her hips, she called, "Couldn't wait?"

Sasuke looked back at her, panting, his face pale. Sakura's eyes narrowed and she scanned his body for the cause. A gash on his leg bleeding his dark pants darker colors of black was the cause.

In three long strides she crossed the distance and her hands lit up green as she knelt to heal her husband. Though the wound was deep, it was narrowed and came to a point at his femoral artery._ The snake's fang,_ she realized. _I should check for poison next..._

"Is he gonna be alright?" Naruto called. He was digging around in the rubble for anything interesting.

"Mhm," Sakura smiled, glancing up into Sasuke's intense eyes. "Just another minute," she whispered to him.

He nodded. It took him a while, but he learned to never interrupt the medic when she was in clinical mode. It was easier just to succumb to her treatments, no matter how ridiculous. His eyes widened as he watched purple, viscous fluid float out of him as she pulled with energy.

She wiped her brow and heaved a heavy sigh. "You'll be fine now," she said, knitting his skin together with a quick brush of her hand.

"Let's get out of here," Kakashi muttered, his hands in his pockets. His dogs had returned to his side after having finished helping Naruto scrounge around.

Naruto slumped. "Yeah, there's nothing here."

Sasuke's emotions roiled, his skin prickling. It was his fault they even entered the base. They'd now be a day off schedule for everything else, and-

"Except that eye, right, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura touched his face and smiled gently.

He nodded in response and followed the group out, his only thoughts on his poor leadership skills and an eye he knew he recognized for more than just the Sharingan.

* * *

Sakura always found dinner when they were on missions. Sasuke typically accompanied her, shooting kunai at the fish in the water and diving in expertly to retrieve their floating dinner. Tonight was an exception. She plodded along alone to a lake she knew was nearby. Kicking off her sandals, she pulled her gloves off and dropped her weapon pouches after removing a single kunai.

The ground shook slightly under her chakra-infused steps. After pushing off one final time, she leapt off of the ground as if it were a diving board and into the water. Cold rushed around her body and bubbles hugged her arms as she flew through the lake. With her eyes open, she quietly watched a school of red fish flit about in the water. She smiled at the catch and attacked. Moments later, her head popped up over the water and her hand held the tails of several fat fish.

Clamoring onto the surface with the aid of chakra, Sakura gathered her belongs and strolled back to camp. The woods were still the thinner trees of the secret base, but some held tightly onto greening leaves. Light shone through in splotches and quietly played with her hair. As she neared her destination, the trees grew taller, thicker, and healthier. Leaves covered the sky in light green hues.

The smell of smoke greeted her and the fire's crackle waved as she walked up on her teammates' discussion.

"But I don't think she's pregnant," Naruto's voice grumped.

"Don't rule out the possibility," Kakashi laughed. "Ah, the medic could shed some light on the subject."

Sasuke stood, turned around, and grabbed the fish from his wife to clean and put them on the fire.

She took over his seat on the log and began mentally rattling off possibilities. Suddenly, she stopped. "Wait, Hinata's pregnant?"

"We have been married a year," Naruto blushed, folding his arms grumpily.

Kakashi chuckled. "Congrats if its true."

The blond's blush grew furious, but his stomach growled loudly at the smell of the cooking fish.

Sasuke had stayed quiet the entire conversation, Naruto noted, and he frowned. He silently wondered if something was wrong with Sakura- the nearly mute Uchiha always had the best read on her. _  
_

"Dinner's ready," Sasuke mumbled, ripping the metal pan from over the fire. Spearing each fish with a kunai, he distributed the meal to his team. Broad leaves were makeshift plates and their own weariness accented the flavors.

Sakura scooted over on the log and her husband sat next to her.

"Who has the eye?" Sasuke asked after a few minutes of contented silence.

Kakashi nodded his head. "After dinner."

"It is after dinner," Sasuke responded crossly.

"Not for your teammates."

The Uchiha peered over to see his wife still nibbling at the last few bites left on the bone. A further glance revealed Naruto digging into what would've been left over. He sighed. "Hn."

The jonin had won and he knew it. He propped his elbows on his knee and pulled out the well-read orange book he always carried.

"Sorry," Sakura muttered.

Sasuke stiffened. "It's not you. I just-"

"I get it," she interrupted. "You wanna know. I do, too."

He nodded curtly. "Thanks," he softened. His fingers picked at the torn material of his pants. The dark cloth was stained beyond his ability with his own blood. Another uncalculated mistake. A stray thought told him that keeping Itachi around was, too. His hands stopped their twitching. Was he really still that jealous? Sighing, he moved to stand, but a pale hand on his own stopped him.

"Sit by me," she pouted.

His resentment melted away as her fingers laced up in his. He leaned over to bump heads and she leaned away, laughing quietly. She had trapped him in her own little world she always carried.

Kakashi smiled from behind his mask and book. The kunoichi could cure her husband's blues like no one else. He drew the jar from his pocket silently and strode over to the couple, placing it next to the man. Returning the same way he came, he chuckled as they didn't notice his gesture.

Naruto sat on a third log, using the fish's backbone to pick a stray bite of fish from his teeth. Patting his belly, he stretched out on the thick branch. He would learn about the eye in Sasuke's time and there was no need to stoke that fire. For now, he could lazily imagine what he and his wife's son might look like. It never crossed his mind that he might have a daughter.

Sasuke pulled Sakura by the arm to have her rest comfortably on his chest and, in doing so, bumped the glass jar over. Thankfully, it was thick and tempered by old age to the point where a little scuffle with the hard earth didn't damage it. His eyes moved with it and his hands followed suit.

Sakura sighed as she watched Sasuke reach for the object. Her husband always had something to worry him. Maybe after the mission, however long it would be, they could talk about having that family he had talked about when he proposed to-

"I've seen this eye before," Sasuke muttered.

She rolled her eyes. "It's a basic Sharingan, Sasuke-kun. I've seen several myself."

"Kakashi."

"Hm?" The jonin sat the book on his lap.

"Is there a way to deactivate the jutsu anymore?"

He stretched his hand out and Sasuke hunched over to hand the jar back. The man ran through a few hand signs and enveloped the jar with his palms as it was engulfed in a light that quickly died away. The jonin tossed it back and resumed reading, feigning disinterest.

Sasuke's eyes widened.

"Well," Sakura questioned, inching closer to her husband. "Whose was it?"

"Shisui," Sasuke seethed. "Danzo and Orochimaru must've been linked at one time."

Kakashi nodded from behind his book. "They were."

"Tell me."

The gray haired man scratched his head. This would be a long story.

* * *

Sakura had slumped over during Kakashi's explanation and now lay with her head in Sasuke's lap, her arm crooked in his leg. He simply adjusted his posture for her.

The fire's embers he had ignited hours ago now accompanied starlight in the same dim twinkling. The moon barely reached through the thick boughs above the shinobi. If it rained, they would be safe. Attackers couldn't near them without making a racket. The spot was perfect. He had needed to do something right that day.

Without realizing it, he had begun twirling his wife's pink tresses in his fingers. When he did notice, he smiled lightly at her. The story had worn her out, so Sasuke had taken first watch. It gave him time to think.

Naruto snored lazily on the log. Sasuke thought the idiot's back would hurt the next morning. Sakura could heal it. He hated others' dependence on her, but he realized he took advantage of her extraordinary kindness just as much. He cursed his inability to help her the way she did him.

She always made sure he was happy, why couldn't he do the same? What was he so caught up in that he couldn't help his wife? Though, his suspicions still led him to believe she was vying for attention elsewhere. It made his hands quake amidst her hair. He heaved a sigh and banished his jealousy. If she could be so strong when he left her physically and love him anyway, he would learn to love her even if she wasn't his emotionally.

He bent over so he could hear her breathing in his ear, feel her warmth on his face. Scrunching his eyes, he tried for a second to do what he had just said he would.

"Sasuke-kun?" she yawned. Her eyes fluttered against his jawline. Panicked, her hands felt around his face for injury. "You're not hurt, are you?"

He righted himself and helped her do the same. Already the weight of loving her was too much. Pulling her closer to him, he whispered, "No." But it was a lie.

He could feel her relax against him, her arms loosening their hold on his shirt. "How's your leg doing?" she asked, brushing her expert hands against where the wound had been.

"It's gone."

"What time is it? Do you want to sleep? I can take next watch."

He simply nodded and reclined back onto the moss next to him.

"Goodnight," he could hear her smile.

"Hn."

Sakura pulled her knees to her chest. Sasuke had been worked up all day- was it the eye? She tried to remember when she'd heard the name Shisui, but it was a vague chance to begin with. Though Sasuke never kept secrets from her, as much as he felt comfortable, that didn't mean that her other two teammates might've withheld information.

Frowning, she glared at the tear in her husband's pants, trying to take her frustrations out on a clothing malfunction. It was in Naruto's nature to forget to relay important information. Kakashi was, by choice, a closed book. And her husband's past haunted him so much she hated to ask about it.

She busied herself with the tear. With no needle, it proved difficult, but if she could knit together bones, muscle, and tissue, a simple piece of ripped cloth couldn't stand a chance. When she had finished, what little light the fire had put off in its dying state was being replaced by tenuous sunshine peeking through tiny holes in between leaves. Dawn was approaching, and the need for breakfast, too. It would be a long day ahead of them.

* * *

**A/N:**_ Thank you all for reading this chapter! I hoped you liked it- if you did, review! It's encouraging to know you all care. Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter, too- that's why this one is so long, honestly. One of you suggested I pair Itachi up, but I've already written a one-shot on that, so I'm not too sure what to do with my second-favorite Uchiha. Go ahead and give suggestions, though- I love your ideas! _


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto had woken up to the smell of dumplings cooking and his stomach growled him into moving. He obliged willingly and his smile grew when he saw Sasuke helping Sakura. Maybe whatever had happened between them was over- their return to the village hadn't been all the fanfare and excitement the pinkette would've liked. Though, that tended to happen with Sasuke.

The Uchiha was scowling from dropping a dumpling into the fire and Sakura could barely contain a chuckle in her mouth. Hands on her face, Sasuke must've heard the small spurts of laugh escape because he turned his scowl to her and leaned into her with his shoulder.

"Oww," she laughed, pushing him away. "Sasuke-kun!"

His arms went to either of her sides and his frown turned into a sly smile.

She pouted and batted him away, returning to the dumplings.

It had taken them years to get that way, Naruto thought. Years longer than it took Hinata and him. He had nearly given up hope- Sakura had pleaded with him to stop pushing her into Sasuke's way- when all of a sudden, Naruto found the two of them kissing in Sakura's office. He wore a shocked expression for the slightest moment but quickly smiled in his gentle way and stole out of the room before the couple noticed. Hinata was giddy at the news. She had woven herself into the drama of Team 7 and refused to be out of the loop.

"Are you gonna eat or not?" Naruto heard Sakura call.

"Oh, sorry!" he smirked, rolling off the log and crossing the grass in long strides. Plopping down across the fire from the couple, his smile grew even wider. His best friends were stubborn, but they were obstinate together.

"What's for breakfast?" Kakashi's voice mumbled. He scratched his head the way he did every morning and his hairmoved collectively to its usual slant.

Naruto seriously wondered if that was the jonin's way of brushing his hair.

"Dumplings," Sakura smiled.

Kakashi looked uneasy and his glance veered to Sasuke.

"I only helped," Sakura pouted, folding her arms. She hated her teammates' slur to her cooking ability. It was always healthy, the proper thing for food to be.

The man's discomfort eased and he- less gracefully than Naruto, albeit- took his seat in the sort-of circle.

Food was distributed and a grumble of thanks was said to Sasuke for fixing it and the quiet sounds of munching took up residence beside the crackle of fire and sway of leaves in the wind.

"What's the plan for today?" Kakashi asked once his crumbs had been swept from his lap.

Eyes turned to Sasuke, the unofficial leader. He shifted to kneel and pull out the scroll he had found the previous day. Though Sakura may've been correct and the information may've been too old to be pertinent, he couldn't risk losing something valuable. "The nearest circled base is just a few kilos away," he muttered. "But I remember this one," he tapped furiously, as if memories flooded back with each second, "and I think it could prove useful."

He paused as a familiar touch held to his arm. "How far?" she asked, eyes set.

"Maybe a day's travel."

Naruto stood to his feet and Kakshi followed, both shoving whatever few belongings they brought out back into their packs. Sasuke helped Sakura up and they did the same.

Her hand reached tentatively to his back while he was bent over counting the kunai in his pouch. Sasuke turned.

"Are you okay?" Her eyes searched his and seemed dissatisfied by his nod. "Sasuke-kun," she frowned, heaving her pack over her shoulder. "don't just nod because it's easy."

His shoulder drooped and his face fell slightly- not enough for anyone else to notice- as he muttered, "I don't want a repeat of yesterday."

Sakura's fingers cupped his jaw and she pursed her lips. "No one blames you for yesterday."

"I do," he admitted as quietly as possible, his hands fumbling onto hers.

"Are you two almost done? We need to get going if we wanna get there by nightfall, right?" Naruto's shrilly called.

Sasuke frowned, his hands tightening their grip on Sakura's. She laughed, pulled free from his grip, and turned away as the group proceeded.

Sasuke shoved his hands in his pockets and trailed behind, backpack jarring itself with every disgruntled step.

* * *

The only thing Sakura noticed about the startling countryside was its flora. At first, the trees looked just like Konoha's- bright, thick, and almost happy. But the further they pressed on throughout the day and the closer to Oto they came, the darker and more suspect everything seemed. Not only did the trees become scrawnier like at the first base, the wind grew chillier and seemed to carry screams in its passing. It chilled her bones and apparently her husbands's, too- he hadn't even looked in her direction the whole day except when they stopped for lunch.

Lamenting not bringing a jacket of some sort, Sakura glanced up ahead towards their destination. The pace they adopted landed them near the hub of Orochimaru's past operations just as dusk was settling on it. The four split up to meander around and discover the best place to enter.

As a safety precaution, Sakura transformed into a man with light brown hair, Sasuke was a blond with hazel eyes, Naruto became a stocky redhead, and Kakashi appeared as a timid-looking genin with wide, green eyes. All sported the uniform Sasuke had described most ninja wearing in Oto.

Sakura's face spoke to her disgust at the fabric.

As they neared a structure, Sasuke called out, "There's genjutsu coming up. It hides the main building. Overground this time."

Her husband slipped directly behind her as they peered around a corner and whispered, "You're still pretty in it. The uniform, I mean."

"I'm a man, Sasuke-kun. I'm _not_ pretty." Her voice attempted to lower itself an octave and failed.

"Handsome, then," he chuckled. Suddenly, his head whipped around. "We've got company," he muttered thickly under his breath.

Two cloaked figures stalked nearer with each step. Though he tried, Sasuke couldn't recognize their chakra signatures. He waited a moment to see if they'd take notice and when their legs sprang into action, Sasuke charged with his wife shortly behind.

* * *

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto whispered loudly. His partner was too busy staring at a tree that they hadn't covered much ground trying to find the entrance.

"Hm?"

"What the heck are you doing?"

His old teacher pointed to the spindly tree, its limbs forking into the sky. "It's leaning up against something. I think a genjutsu hides the fortrace."

Naruto's eyes set on the place Kakashi described, but he couldn't make out the telltale signs of genjutsu on it. There was no flash at a corner, no occassional ripple in the jutsu, and no obvious trap about it. "If it's there, it's good," he admitted, straightening up. His face held an aura of appreciation for the work.

"Naruto, you've never been able to detect genjutsu well, have you?"

The boy sighed. "No." He slumped over.

The pair stole closer to the tree in spurts. Finally, when they were leaning against the invisible building, they heard the sounds of battle. Weapons clashed and sang through the air.

"The other side," Kakashi frowned.

"Sasuke and Sakura-chan."

* * *

**A/N:**_ Sorry for my mini-break. Writer's block and a busy schedule kept be away. Hopefully this satisfies whatever craving you had? Thanks for reading, as always, and old love reviews to help me gauge what y'all liked. Thanks again! _


	8. Chapter 8

Determined to keep their identities secret, the couple took to using only weaponry for the battle.

Sakura let chakra-infused kunai fly one after the other until one opponent was stuck to the concealed wall. Running towards the man, she threw another kunai that pierced his jugular. Blood trickled out and the man went lifelessly limp a minute later.

Sasuke's attacker was trickier. The man came after him with his own sword, so Sasuke's chokutō wasn't as effective as he'd hoped it would be. Even after running elemental energy through the sword, the assailant kept swinging. Sasuke grunted, spun with the sword, and slashed through his opponent. The dull thud of the man's blade dropping to the ground signaled that he was through.

Sakura turned at the sound of footsteps and was relieved to see her teammates in their guise.

"Oi, Dobe. Thought we couldn't handle it?" Sasuke sheathed his sword, smirking.

Naruto frowned and Kakashi smiled lightly. Turning to the matter at hand, the jonin glanced back at Sasuke. "Any particular caution when disabling the genjutsu?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Doors are obvious for only a minute afterward."

"Release!"

The four scrambled around and entered just as the building was fading back into the dark hues of the forest.

"From here, there's an upper and lower floor. Upper was housing, main dining, and lower training. The gates we went through on the way here have the same combination as the ones to these doors."

The other three nodded at Sasuke's quiet explanation and split up again to investigate. "An hour from now, meet back up in the main dining hall," Kakashi suggested. "We can reconvene and see if anything interesting came up. As always, keep your identity hidden."

* * *

With the plan agreed on, Sakura took to the stairs to search out the living quarters. Each door had a lock on it, but she knew that was just an illusion. She lit the lamp on the wall to provide enough light to see her way around the nearby rooms, and, with a few simple handsigns, dispelled the genjutsu from the entire floor. Smirking at her work, she leaned quietly against a door to hear any signs of life. Though the base was supposed to be abandoned, the ninja outside proved that hypothesis may be incorrect.

Nothing. Dead silence. Sakura turned the handle slowly and pulled the door open in a fluid motion to reduce creaks. One unoccupied room may not mean they're all in the same condition. Sneaking around was useless if someone ultimately heard her.

A bed- made a long time ago, if the deeply creased sheets meant anything- and a dust-covered window were the two main facets of the room. A small closet and several wall lamps also decorated the otherwise sparse room. It was by no means cosy. Quickly scanning the room for a final once-over, Sakura found nothing. After returning to the hallway, she sighed. Long expanses stretched much beyond where the nearby lantern's faint light fell. This would take a while.

* * *

Sasuke had taken the training halls. What felt like a lifetime ago, he spent most of his waking hours breaking limbs and running through people all in the name of revenge. "What a hollow pursuit," he muttered, cursing his whole life's focus. He quickly glanced around to see if anyone happened to still live amidst the rock and blood stains. Convinced he was alone, he slid open the most familiar door.

Nothing sat in it except a light switch- he remembered his first time entering into the dark room filled with enemies- and that was all Orochimaru was convinced was necessary for training. That, and willing sacrifices. Genjutsu cast into the room over past years left strong chakra signatures plastered in various places all throughout. Sasuke faintly recognized his own and shuddered.

Cursory studies of several of the training rooms proved that they all were rather uniform- marked up only by dried blood and faintest traces of chakra- and Sasuke was convinced those had been uninhabited for years. He counted back how long it had been since he lived and trained in this house and estimated it was abandoned shortly after he left it himself.

One last door stood in front of Sasuke, but he hesitated to open it. A hum of chakra building and sinking rhythmically, the shinobi SOS signal, was sped up and broadcasted as best the ninja inside could. Whether it was for Sasuke or because of him, he didn't know. What little protective instinct he had for those followers of Orochimaru welled up in him and he cautiously creaked the door open.

Dark brown eyes met his and grew dimmer with each second. The boy was panicking. He threw shuriken after shuriken at the Uchiha. "Go away!" he screamed, his voice ranging feminine by the end of the shriek. Sasuke had blocked the weapons and they lay useless on the floor.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke asked, masking his voice.

"L-lord Danzo had-" a steely determination rose up in the frightened boy's eyes. Standing to his feet, he ran through hand signs.

Sasuke recognized them as the ones ANBU used to burn their bodies so no one could steal the secrets they kept. "Oh no you don't," he growled, tackling the boy and pinning him to the ground. "Tell me." He resisted the urge to let his eyes run red with Sharingan and coerce not so nicely.

The previous confidence had melted out of the boy and he looked ready to faint. "I guess this means my teammates are dead?"

"Cloaked men?"

The boy nodded, a lump growing in his throat. "Let me go. You'll do the same to me as my teammates."

"I never knew Danzo worked with emotional people," Sasuke whispered, trying to redirect the conversation. His heart hurt for the boy.

"He doesn't. I wasn't. But, after Uchiha Sasuke killed Danzo-sama, we all had to find new jobs. And that..." he looked away.

"Complicated things?"

The boy's fists clenched. His eyes ran back to Sasuke's. "Danzo-sama's last order. We have to carry it out. If the other three are dead, I'm the last to know. And I won't let him down."

_Three?_ Sasuke shrugged, still pinning the boy. "Good luck." _If I can enrage him..._

"I won't let you stand in my way!"

"Hn."

The boy's arms reached for Sasuke's, but the Uchiha pushed his elbows down into the boy's. Cringing, the boy tried to kick his way out from under Sasuke, but Sasuke was heavier. Minutes of attempted freedom later, the boy had given himself a bloody nose and was panting heavily.

"Done yet?"

"No!"

In a fluid motion, Sasuke knelt and pulled the boy to his back. Twisting his opponent's arm over his own head, Sasuke frowned. "Tell me Danzo's orders."

The boy turned as best he could and spat in the Uchiha's eye. "Never."

Sasuke twisted his arm harder. "This can only end one of two ways for you, and neither of them end with you whole."

The boy's body heaved from the pain.

Sasuke grimaced. He wasn't used to using this kind of force any more. It hurt. _  
_

* * *

Naruto and Kakashi bumbled around the main floor, escaping from falling food cans and dodging the occasional dust bunny. They felt entirely too sure they had drawn the short straw, but the jonin wasn't too upset. His eyesight was quickly diminishing back to what it had been before Sakura had healed him. Without peripheral vision on one side, he felt exposed. Unknowingly, he shivered.

"What is it?" Naruto asked. "Sense something?" His head automatically turned in every direction to see what his sensei had.

"No," the gray haired man sighed. "There's still nothing." He put his hand to a can of peaches and examined the label. It was blurry at best. However, he could just make out the date- five years ago. The same timeframe as the eye they had found. "Naruto, if the eye was extracted five years ago, and this food is, too, then what does that mean?"

Naruto shrugged. "Orochimaru left his bases five years ago?"

"Beyond that. Those ninja outside were here for something. And that eye was from Danzo's own collection."

The blond's eyes grew with recognition. "Danzo and Orochimaru collaborated in the past, they must've-"

Kakashi frowned. "This could get interesting."

* * *

"Nothing," Sakura frowned. "Absolutely nothing." She kicked the door open and shut it with her foot. The hallways had stretched farther than seemed possible and ten wall lamps had been lit, so far with no end in sight. "The hour must be up soon. I need to pick up the pace," she harrumphed. "If I had clones like Naruto, I could zip right through this. Sensei's ninken would, too."

One room. _Slam_. Two rooms. _Slam_. Three rooms. _Slam_. Four rooms. _Slam_-

"What's all the racket about, Kai?" A male voice interrupted her tirade against the boring job.

Sakura stopped in her tracks, suddenly glad for the transformation jutsu.

"Kai?" The male voice and the feet that belonged to it tamped nearer to her and grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around.

"What?" she tried, deepening her voice.

Eyes flared. "You're not-"

Without thinking, she punched the man's face square on and he slumped back into the wall. She pulled him up onto her back and carted him around as she inspected the rooms.

"You're heavy," she muttered to the unconscious man.

* * *

The hour had passed and Sasuke still hadn't made it to the rendezvous point. Sakura chuckled lightly at her teammates' faces as she dropped a man from her back.

Naruto and Kakashi quickly returned to normal. Sakura's strength, though occasionally strange, was as normal to them as Naruto's jinchūriki status. They discussed possible ways to interrogate the man without wasting too much time when Sakura suddenly looked around.

"Where's Sasuke-kun?"

The boys shrugged and moved back to the topic at hand.

"I'll go look," she muttered, fists balled. "Lazy," she griped.

A sharp rap on the wall exposed a staircase. She took it. Darkly-stained rock steps led down to an even darker lower level. The sound of creaking and a short, high-pitched scream came from the end of the hallway. She sighed. "Sasuke-kun, what are we going to do with you?"

Crossing the distance with staccato strides, she rushed the door open. The sight that greeted her was not unfamiliar. Her husband held a significantly smaller man in a choke hold in an attempt to extricate information without using Sharingan. A noble effort, but one he never succeeded at.

She lit her hands ablaze with medical chakra and, leaning over Sasuke, knocked the boy out suddenly.

The Uchiha frowned deeply. "I was getting there."

"How long was the road there, then, Sasuke-kun?"

His frown furthered as he stood, the scruff of the boy's neck in his hand.

"Please don't ever drag our children around like that," she laughed, leading him back up the stairs.

Pink twinged its way up his neck. "I don't intend to."

* * *

Two bodies sat in front of the four, thoroughly unconscious.

"Have you not decided yet?" the pinkette fumed.

"No," Kakashi shrugged.

"Decided what? How to interrogate?" Sasuke asked. "Tsukiyomi-"

"Isn't an option," his wife finished, arms crossed.

He scowled.

Naruto sat down beside the two fainted men and thought.

Kakashi perked up. "We could use the eye, though."

"It's our only bargaining chip," Sasuke frowned. "I don't-"

"It'll work." Naruto smiled, hands on his knees. "It'll have to."

* * *

**A/N**: _Tried to do this part well, what'd you think? Next chapter should get...interesting, if for no reason other than I haven't planned it. So. As always, if you liked it, please review! Love all of your feedback. Until then, enjoy!_


	9. Chapter 9

Sakura's quick thinking led Naruto to transform into a bloodied and battered version of the man Sasuke attacked. Kakashi, still in the form of a scared genin, was to hold Naruto weakly while Sakura questioned the man she encountered in the hall. She used a simple medical jutsu to restore consciousness to the man and was to conduct the interrogation.

Sasuke sat outside, waiting. He had just finished knotting a rope of chakra around his unconscious victim when he heard Sakura's voice escalate. She would feel terrible about it later, he knew. All of them would. Konoha shinobi were held to a higher standard than nearly all the other villages. He sighed.

His years in Oto had changed his moral fiber, but the years spent back in his hometown had reminded him what guilt was. That it was beneficial. That it could help you grow.

Sasuke heard a thick slap on flesh and a quiver from Naruto's henged voice. He silently laughed that the blond would likely sulk about it for hours afterward.

"Do you know what this eye means?" Sakura's voice crescendoed. "Why is it here?"

"Here? I thought it was- I mean, it was supposed to be in the hideout closer to Leaf, but, uh, I mean-"

Another slap. Naruto could take the hits and Sakura would feel better to intimidate by twisting the sympathy of another.

"Don't hit him!" The man screamed. "Don't hurt Kai or you won't be any better than them." He hiccuped and Sasuke thought he could hear tears smack to hard, cold floor.

"Who are 'they,' then?" the pinkette's voice softened. Her knees quietly rested on the stone and she scooted closer to her prisoner. "Tell me...for Kai."

"Danzo had...several test subjects that Orochimaru supplied," the man started. He twisted his neck and pulled on his collar to show Sakura his curse seal. "Kai and I weren't good enough for Root, so we were among the first to sign up. He...he's my cousin. Danzo said we had so much promise, even if he couldn't take us. Orochimaru sealed our emotions and in exchange, gave us power. We just had to do whatever Danzo wanted. There were so many assassinations..." The man paused, cringing. "And after a missing-nin took our leader out, we were forced to find work. I found myself messing with my seal. Weakening it. Kai's, too. We-"

"Get on with it," Sakura's voice hardened. Sasuke was impressed that she held the transformed voice so well. Surely she was shaken up?

"Well, we were outcasts from Root, didn't fit in with the ANBU, and neither regular civilian life nor shinobi missions suited Kai. We found two ex-Root members and started picking up odd jobs. Soon, Kai was using his curse seal more and more. It scared me. The other two that you, well, killed encouraged him to do it. When they found our most recent job, I was worried this might happen. Only I figured it'd be Konoha to find us, not Orochimaru's ilk."

"What was your mission?" Kakashi's genin voice sheepishly asked. Sasuke could hear the impatience and curiosity in the question.

"We were to retrieve the eye Danzo wanted to implant into his arm. It was a matched set at one time, but a relative apparently took it. Orochimaru wanted to know if this eye had the same jutsu cast on it as the other."

"That's enough," Sakura said. Her real voice, this time, Sasuke noted. He sensed the transformation being undone by Naruto and Kakashi as well.

He did the same and heaved the still-unconscious body over his shoulder. His turn. Undoing the latch on the door, Sasuke entered the room.

The interrogated man apparently couldn't handle the shock of seeing his former leader's killer and promptly passed out.

Sakura placed her hands on her hips. "Really? You can spill all of your secrets but when you see my husband you faint?"

Naruto laughed. "Sasuke's always had that effect on people."

"Ha ha, very funny, Dobe. I wasn't the one who had such a hard time getting my girlfriend to kiss me, though. Yours'd turn into a statue at the suggestion."

"Alright you two, calm down. Sasuke, bind the other man and I'll take them both back to Konoha. You three continue looking around the area. Orochimaru definitely is still on the move, even if he's in the grave. I'm afraid the same goes for Danzo."

The Uchiha did as was told and transferred the bodies to the jonin.

"Are you sure you can handle it, Sensei?" Sakura looked worriedly at Kakashi. "Your eye, I mean. It's-"

"It's pretty well shot," he admitted. "But I can manage. We're a day and a half away at best. The towns nearby are Leaf allies. I'm sure they can put up with me if they have to."

She frowned.

"Don't worry," he chuckled, ruffling her hair. "I won't be reckless. Naruto, send a clone ahead of me to Ibiki. He'll want to interrogate the both of them."

Naruto complied and the gray haired man was off.

Team 7 henged into different guises this time and exited the building. Darkness had fallen sharply and the only sounds were ones the three of them created.

"We'll find somewhere to make camp as we search out the area," Sasuke suggested.

"I'll go over there," Naruto called, already running towards a small grouping of cottages, the black paint molding off of their sides.

Sasuke and Sakura darted off in different directions.

* * *

An hour later, the three met back up. A mold-covered Naruto sat uncomfortably across from the couple.

"Are you sure I won't get sick from this?" he asked for the hundredth time. He pulled a wedge of purple fuzz off of his shoulder and cringed. Throwing it into the fire, he sighed.

"Yes, I'm sure. It grows everywhere that's damp and likes wood. You could brew it in tea and it'd reduce poison," the pinkette laughed, holding onto her husband's arm.

Sasuke chuckled lowly. "If you hadn't've ran out like a crazy man, you wouldn't be covered in it."

Naruto crossed his arms and harrumphed. "I'm going to sleep. Wake me when it's my turn to keep watch."

"What? No dinner?" Sakura feigned surprise.

"Not hungry. Ready to go home."

"You've been out of the village years longer than this, Naruto. What gives?" She taunted.

"I miss my wife. S'not fair you'n Sasuke're together," he mumbled into his shirtsleeve, already greeting sleep.

Sakura smiled up at Sasuke. "I guess."

He returned her smile and kissed her cheek. Realization dawned on him, though, that interrupted his happiness. Going home would mean dealing, once again, with Itachi. Suddenly everything in him wanted nothing more than to stay out on mission forever. His mouth migrated to his wife's, but her hand was in his way.

"Hn," he frowned.

"Shh," she muffled him. "He's asleep."

Sasuke's glower grew as Naruto's snore filled the air. The fire's crackle competed for dominance and lost poorly.

"I don't want dinner, either," the Uchiha muttered. His lips found their way into a pout like the one he made at age seven and he curled up into a ball. Sakura could more than adequately keep watch.

The girl in question was surprised at her husband and watched his theatrics with confused amusement. She hadn't seen him act like that since their Academy days. What had gotten into him? Surely it wasn't her refusal to kiss him. Sighing, she drew her knees to her chin and chuckled. She would have the rest of her life to figure him out. No sense in trying to all at once.

* * *

Morning hadn't yet come, but Sakura woke the boys and the three of them ate soldier pills rather than breakfast. Naruto put out the fire, rubbing the embers into the ground with his sandals. Sakura laughed at the boy's antics- he was still pulling moss put of his hair.

"Take a bath when you get home, Dobe. Otherwise your wife won't be so happy to see you."

Naruto glared but had no reply.

"Come on, you two. We can make it back to Konoha today if we hurry."

With that, they leapt into the trees and each jump brought them closer home. The summer sun on their backs led them like a happy mother dragging her children home from market.

Naruto smiled at the thought of Hinata's warm smile and the possibility of her pregnancy. He'd be sure to ask her if she'd thought of that. Her queasiness had no other obvious source. Though, his stomach churned when he thought of being a father. He had no one to ask for help on it- all of his mentors were single men.

Sakura was ecstatic over the probability that she'd have a warm meal, a hot bath, and sleep in her own bed that night. It had been only one night out of the past three weeks she would, whether because of the mission, the hospital, or her honeymoon. All the newlywed wanted was to rest.

Sasuke brooded. His older brother always managed to ruin things. The clan massacre, for one. His chances with Sakura, for another. The man likely, in Sasuke's eyes, would invite them over for dinner to flirt with the younger Uchiha's wife. The kind, gentle man Itachi was hid something. Sasuke just knew it. Fists balled and eyes narrowed, he determined to find out what.

* * *

The amber-eyed Hokage smirked behind her laced fingers. "Glad you're back," she laughed. "But I wish you didn't smell so badly."

Sakura blushed and Naruto looked away, his hands shoved into his pockets. Sasuke stared.

"Kakashi was here a little bit ago. He requested you meet with him, Sakura."

"Shishou?"

"Hm?" Tsunade quirked her blonde eyebrow.

"Did he say how he was doing?"

"You know him better than that, Sakura," she smiled. "He hit the corner of my desk when dropping off the men you captured, though. His vision's deteriorated quite quickly," she mused.

"Are we done here?" Naruto asked, shifting in his spot. "I wanna go see Hinata-"

The Hokage laughed. "Go, the three of you. Kakashi said he'd write the mission report."

"Okay," the three said in unison and teleported away.

* * *

Naruto had nearly skipped home, bumping into and apologizing to several civilians on his way. Hinata was happy to see him but surprised when a piece of moss fell in her hair after kissing him. He laughed and said he'd explain later.

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Sakura had taken the direct route home with her promising to make lunch upon arrival.

Itachi had other plans. He greeted them at the entrance to the Uchiha Compound and smiled. "Glad to see you're home. Kakashi-senpai came by and told me you two would be back today. I've made lunch if you'd like to-"

"We're fine," Sasuke grumbled, grabbing hold of Sakura's hand.

"Sasuke-kun," she frowned. "I want to eat with your brother."

"Why?" He seethed, moving his face mere inches from hers.

"Why do I need a reason?" She questioned, whispering her reply.

"Otōto," Itachi soothed, "why are you so angry with me?" He held his arms up in surrender, his probationary bracelet bumping around on his wrist.

"I'm not," Sasuke lied, his teeth gritted. "Let's have lunch."

Sakura extricated herself from her husband's grip and followed his brother into his house. She pulled her shoes off and set them neatly next to Itachi's significantly larger ones.

He ushered her past the doorway. "Come on, Imōto," he laughed. "The tea's nearly ready."

She glanced over her shoulder at her bent-over husband, his hands shoved hastily in his pockets and bangs hanging over his face. He toed off his sandals and left them vaguely next to Sakura's.

She looked at him sympathetically. Maybe he didn't sleep well last night? Or was he still mad at her for not- that must be it, she decided. Sweetly, as gently as she could, she cupped his face in her hands and pressed her lips against his.

He was surprised, for sure. He pulled away at first, but let her towards the end. She always smiled mid-kiss. He smiled back. How could he be mad when she did things like this?

Itachi walked out of his kitchen and to the entryway. When he found them in that state, he chuckled quietly. "If you want cold tea, by all means, continue."

Sasuke glared with one eye at his brother.

Sakura turned around, a full blush on her face, and ran in small strides to the kitchen.

Sasuke skulked after her. Itachi always interfered.

* * *

**A/N:** _Hello! I felt rather good about this chapter. It encompasses quite a lot, doesn't it? But it's decent. The story will transition more into home life from here with several (obvious) subplots. The overrunning idea should be Sasuke and Sakura's relationship, though. Hold me to it, guys! Thanks for your reviews- keep 'em coming!_

Minor Spoilers if you haven't seen the new episode- I hadn't read the manga and had no idea Danzo stole Shisui's eye. I also had no idea he used one and thus me writing about him wanting the other one is totally valid. I feel like a queen now. Booyah. The Uchiha drama keeps me enthralled. Felt so bad for Itachi all over again!


	10. Chapter 10

Tea, still hot and steamy, sat untouched on the low, wooden table. Snippets of conversation left Sakura tired and aching. Still longing to take that hot bath, she was stuck instead with her husband's brooding.

His bangs currently masked his eyes, but the pinkette knew Sasuke's face would be blank. It nearly always was. She sighed and tried to shift her legs inconspicuously. They'd fallen asleep half an hour ago and she didn't need another irritation. Her hands gripped the table and she accidentally kicked Sasuke with one foot. "Sorry," she murmured automatically.

"Hn."

Picking up her tea, she sipped it, shifting her eyes between brothers. Itachi seemed confused at his sibling's display and Sasuke was shifting rice around in the bowl. His fingers clutched so tightly to the chopsticks his knuckles whitened. A small cracking noise sounded when he picked up a few grains, bringing them to his mouth.

"What," he growled, his face turning up towards his wife.

She darted her gaze back to her tea, ripples shifting in the cup of dark liquid. Her hands, clenched in her lap, flexed momentarily so blood would flow again. She was worried.

Itachi shifted as his hand reached out to his sister-in-law. His eyes were kind, quiet, but there was another emotion hidden deep in them.

Sakura looked at him sympathetically and her lips quivered. Tears threatened her eyes all of a sudden, but she chalked it up to her sheer exhaustion. Back aching, eyes burning cold, and head pounding, the bath seemed even more tempting all the time. Her breath caught in her lungs.

Itachi noticed all of this, but so did Sasuke. The younger Uchiha's grip on his chopsticks grew disastrous for the utensils. Tell tale splits in the wood cracked into existence and Sakura looked to her husband.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"I'm leaving," he spat, standing up all of a sudden. His knee banged the edge of the table and he cursed. Stomping over to the doorway, he shoved his feet into his sandals and slammed the door behind him.

Sakura leaned her face into her hands and felt the tears burn against her tired eyes. Rivulets fell down her arms and into her tea. Harshly, her palms rubbed her eyes in penance. "What's wrong?" she hiccuped. "Why can't I-?"

Itachi's hand swiftly grabbed hold of the pinkette's arm. "Imōto," he began soothingly, "there's likely nothing wrong with you. Sasuke...has always been a mystery." His hand retreated and ran through his hair, loosening his ponytail. "He...he becomes consumed with what may not be reality."

"What do you mean?"

"He-"

A huge yawn screamed out of Sakura's mouth.

Itachi smiled. "Go home, Imōto. Your husband loves you. So do I."

Sakura winced. "I'm not so sure he does," she confessed, pushing up from the table. In a few short moments, her shoes were on and then off again as she stepped into her own house.

The painting of she and Sasuke hung directly in front of her face and she couldn't help but feel jealous of the girl in the picture, no matter how disillusioned she may be. Sakura always assumed marriage wouldn't be any more difficult than learning medical ninjutsu. Difficult at the very start, but once the ball was rolling, increasingly easier. She expected to be on the 'easier' part. Especially being married to Sasuke- it was a dream come true, after all. But the Uchiha carried much more with him than he was willing to share, apparently. And without communication... Sakura balled her fists. She wouldn't let that happen to them.

Deep-stained wooden flooring led her in steps to her bedroom. She would grab fresh clothes and sit in the bath for as long as she could. Or, at least until the bubbles all disappeared. Clean pajamas in her hand, she crashed her nose smack into Sasuke's chest as she crossed the doorway to the bathroom.

"Sorry," she trembled., sidestepping him. Why hadn't she sensed his chakra?

"Me too," she thought she heard him whisper.

A small backward glance showed a defeated Sasuke, even if she couldn't see he face. His hands were balled and his head hung, but without the cold fury of their lunch with Itachi. How had a few minutes changed him so much? Her hand moved towards him tentatively.

He turned at her touch. His eyes looked ready for her words.

"You're tired. Go get rest, Sasuke-kun."

He nodded, his eyes flickering with sadness.

"I love you," Sakura whispered, her hands picking at the collar of her bed clothes.

"I love you, too." It sounded painful for him to say.

* * *

His eyes popped open and he sat straight up, his hands crumpling the sheet. Sweat rolled off his back and his hair seemed saturated with it. Breath came out hard and heavy in pants barely escaping him.

He hadn't had that nightmare in a while. Not since- well, not since he and Sakura started dating. She had always been his comforter, even when he wouldn't admit it to anyone. Her hands always molded around his neck perfectly with the slightest of squeezes that told him she was there. Always would be there. Her smiling kisses and bright-eyed looks reminded him of her persevering friendship.

But lately, those kisses had been rarer and more provoked. He knew the last one they shared was out of exasperation, and he could only guess the reason. Sighing and rubbing his face, Sasuke clamored out of bed. He needed to clear his mind, and beating Naruto to a pulp would help that just perfectly.

Sakura opened the door as he stood to his feet. Her pink pajamas complemented her fiery pink hair that was hanging in bunches of wet, tangled mess. Slender, pale fingers ran through the knots and her face scrunched up as she met a particularly fierce one. Her eyes softened as she caught Sasuke's glance.

It was a weak smile that spread on her lips, but a smile nonetheless. "You going to train?"

He nodded, his stomach tightening. She would want to know about his nightmare.

"See you in a few hours, then?"

His lips thinned. "Yeah. I'll be back for dinner." He didn't know if he would, but it felt right to say. It felt like his father had said that to his mother before.

"Sounds good." Her face turned away and she straightened the covers of their bed.

Sasuke slipped out the door, guilt roiling in his stomach.

* * *

Naruto's clone proofed away in a cloud of smoke and the real man came charging towards Sasuke.

The Uchiha's eyes bled red to determine his friend's course of action. Sensing another doppelgänger behind him, he grabbed the fake's collar and chucked it at the real one.

Naruto ducked and rolled towards Sasuke, his hands grabbing wildly at his friend's feet.

But Sasuke saw and quickly substituted himself with Naruto's clone, throwing shuriken at Naruto from a tree behind the blond.

Naruto narrowly jumped out of their path. "So is she mad at you? You need to stay at our house for a couple days?"

"Not yet," Sasuke muttered, dodging Naruto's blow.

"What'd you do?" The blond chuckled nervously.

"I didn't," he countered.

They had stopped fighting.

"Then...?"

"I think she's cheating on me."

Naruto's eyes bulged and he began to guffaw from his belly. "You can't be serious! Have you even bothered to talk to her?"

The Uchiha glanced away, his bottom lip protruding. "No, I haven't wanted to hear what I know."

Naruto shook his head and smiled. "Sasuke, she's not like that. Sakura-chan's loved you forever, remember?"

"But-"

"But nothing! You love her, right?"

Sasuke's face grew serious, determined. His eyes were flint and his mouth taut. "Of course I do. I'd never marry her if I didn't."

"Then talk to her."

* * *

Dinner was on the table when the Uchiha came home, sweaty and worn out. The sky had long since turned black and the stars had cried at him to go home, but he ignored them for a few precious moments, deciding to stroll down memory lane. The bench still sat where it had all those years ago, but Sasuke occasionally made sure it still did. He felt he one day would sit with his children and explain how central that bench felt to his life.

Sakura wasn't in the house, he detected, and a small fire of anger rose up in him until he saw a folded scrap of paper waiting on top of his plate.

_Sorry, Sasuke-kun! Hospital called me in. See you tomorrow morning. XOXO_

His heart melted at her scrawl on the paper, messy and flowing in scripted haste. She had to work, and she still made him dinner. He decided either she was excellent at sucking up, or she still loved him.

He lifted the lid from one dish to discover a twist on his favorite- roasted tomatoes. Sakura hated them- which meant she cooked them specifically with him in mind- and that made his heart ache for the girl's company. Running his hand through his hair, he pondered how he possibly would broach the subject with either her or his brother.

* * *

**A/N:**_ Hi there! Busy past few days, I assure you. How'd you like this chapter? Leave a review and tell me! I love reading all of them. It was hard to write- beyond being busy, it was busy with Chemistry. Major creativity stealer. Five weeks till I'm done with that class... And five weeks till I'm a Senior. That's weird. Till next time!_


	11. Chapter 11

"Sensei, is that any better?" Sakura asked nervously, her hands hovering just above his face.

She had been working at an intense pace to restore her former teacher's sight. While she had suspected he left the mission early because of it, she hadnt imagined the scope of the damage that had been done. Not only was his vision worse than when she had healed it just a week ago, but he was quickly losing sight out of his non-Sharingan eye. It had been straining too much to pick up the slack for too long, she assumed.

Kakashi sounded bleak in responding, "Maybe?"

With a furor, Sakura flashed healing energy back to her hands and channeled it to his eyes. She had helped him once. She could do it again.

Kakashi smiled lightly at her, his eyes closed in rest. He knew she couldn't do this every day. While he appreciated her efforts, the jonin also recognized that they would one day be in vain. He had lived over twenty years with the Mangekyō activated- surely he was just cheating the system now?

But he also had a hope burning inside of him. Here he was, a family-less man, and this woman was pouring her own soul out to help him. Although selfishly, Kakashi wanted to imagine she was never this fiery with anyone else's healing. He knew that it was wrong, however. Sakura gave her heart to everything she did.

He opened his eyes when the warm sensation of her chakra stopped easing the cold discomfort of lost vision to see beads rolling down her face. He breath was heavier, more uneven, and he knew he had asked too much of her.

So when she asked, "How about now?" He was surprised to be able to say,

"Much better." Her exhaustion was evident to him visually, and that was improvement enough for him. The gray haired man reached out to her and his arm was confident in moving towards her face. His depth perception had come back with that healing. Slowly, he smiled at her.

She returned the grin- albeit hers more tired- and placed her hand over his. "I'm glad to hear that."

Another nurse stepped into the hospital room and called to Sakura.

The pinkette turned back to Kakashi to wave goodnight and he returned the gesture.

Sakura gritted her teeth and ran after the greenhorn she was to help in surgery. Her shishou would owe her for that promotion, soon.

* * *

Again, Sasuke's sleep was fitful and disturbed. Visions from his past haunted him as the facts exaggerated themselves. What was a gruesome sight of his parents' bodies turned into a fearful Fugaku slaying Mikoto under Itachi's command.

Sasuke woke up heaving and nauseous. His stomach heaved and tossed from the fresh horror he felt. Instinctively, his hand went to the place oi bed next to him. It was empty. Cold fear ran through his veins before his jumbled mind recalled Sakura had been called into work. His hands ran through his hair and he plodded over to the bathroom, deciding a shower would do him some good.

However, he would have to do without. A sharp rapping at the door revealed a goofily-grinning blond face. The orange-decked ninja was nearly bouncing in place from sheer excitement.

Sasuke, by contrast, was shaking internally and trying to keep from screaming as he had all those years ago when the tragedy was committed. "What do you want?" He asked, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.

"I'm gonna be a dad!" Naruto nearly yelled. His arms threw themselves around Sasuke's back knowing the gesture wouldn't be extended.

The Uchiha listlessly thumped his friend on the back in congratulations.

Naruto quickly put distance between them, sensing something was wrong. "What's up?"

Sasuke stared past his blond and his eyes caught the place his brother told him the grand lie. His heart stopped momentarily.

"Sasuke?"

However, to the Uchiha, it was nothing more than garbled noise amidst the scream his memory encapsulated so perfectly. Heart beat quickening, sweat beading, eyes bulging, Sasuke felt his knees buckle and was nearly shocked his face didn't smack against the pavement like it had when he was eight.

This time, his friend was there to catch him.

His pink headed wife had just been strolling into the District when she saw the friends talking and her husband fall. Running towards them, she arrived in time to see Naruto's wide, blue eyes stare confusedly back at her.

"Take him inside," she ordered, instincts kicking in. She marched behind the blond and gave basic commands that would lead to the bedroom. Naruto laid his friend on the bed and watched like a small child as the medic ran through various tests.

With a slightly startled disposition- after all, she had been silent the whole scan- Naruto turned to hear the pinkette's decision.

"Shock," she sighed, looking drained. "Were you aware of anything that would result in this?"

Naruto shook his head, silenced. His proud news had been swallowed up in his friends' troubles. Eyes narrowing, he questioned, "Why're you wearing that?"

Sakura surveyed her attire- scrubs that had seen better days- and responded flippantly. "I was at work last night."

The blond nodded and turned his gaze back to his friend.

"Why were you here?"

"I wanted to tell him I'm a dad."

They both stared at the unconscious man on the bed before the news sunk into Sakura.

She squealed, wrapping her arms around Naruto. "I'm so excited for you guys! How far along is she?"

"Uh, like eight weeks?"

"Ooh! Soon there'll be a heartbeat! Chakra follows soon after, you know," she smiled, stroking her husband's fair fondly. "Then you can detect the little miracle and interact. It's a lot of fun."

Naruto's eyes grew wide. "Really?"

"Mhm."

Naruto's heart skipped a beat in excitement, but his emotions quickly shifted back to the problem at hand. "He looked spacey before he fell."

"Where was he staring?"

"The road. Just straight at it, too."

Sakura furrowed her brows. "I knew we shouldn't have moved into this house."

It was Naruto's turn to frown. "Why not?"

"It was really close to his childhood home. Down the street, I think. Pretty sure Itachi lives in Shisui-san's old house, too, come to think of it."

Naruto needed no further explanation. He couldn't imagine the horror that Sasuke faced. "So why'd he choose it?"

Sakura looked wistfully down at her husband, his face a rigid line even in sleep. "He said he needed to face it someday." Her hands moved to his wrists, finding his pulse. "He won't be up soon, if you need to leave."

"I can stay here as long as you need."

"Thank you." Her gratitude was genuine.

"Should we tell Itachi?"

Sakura smacked herself. "Of course. I knew I was forgetting something. They've been at odds with each other recently. Maybe this will help things clear up."

Naruto nodded, his eyes widening in recall. "Oh, by the way, Sakura-chan-"

"What?"

"Ne-never mind," he decided better of it. Sometimes, telling your friend her husband thinks she's cheating isn't always the best idea. Especially when she came home to him and hadn't stopped holding him- his hands, his hair, his shirtsleeve- as if she were in shock, too.

"Alright," she replied, bewildered. "Please watch him while I'm gone."

Naruto flashed her a smile as she disentangled her fingers from Sasuke's stiff digits. "Can do."


	12. Chapter 12

"Itachi," Sakura called, her knuckles still clutching to the door. It had been ajar when she knocked and she had taken the chance. He never had a problem with her visiting at all hours, and all the pinkette could do was hope the same graces were still extended to her.

Fresh, hot, rolling panic struck through her as she thought of her husband's state. She tried banishing the worries, but the image of his worn grimace and stiff limbs wouldn't leave her alone.

"Itachi," she called again, louder. Her voice cracked on the second syllable.

The man appeared, his hair unbound from its usual ponytail. If the circumstances were different, Sakura would've smiled. She recognized that as a sign that he had been sleeping.

"What is it, Imōto?" He asked, running his hands through his hair. He thought through different possibilities for her sudden reappearance. Either she needed more sugar for her tea or she wanted him to tell Sasuke she was at the hospital again. When he looked at his sister-in-law, however, those ideas were dashed.

Her skin seemed paler and her hair wasn't bouncing with every step she took. Her eyes were wider, but not with the gladness that usually accompanied the change. The older brother's instincts tried to take over- wanting nothing more than to scoop her in his arms and tell her it'd be alright- but he quelled them. That wouldn't help quiet his sibling's incorrect assumptions.

She shook slightly and if her hands hadn't still held onto the door frame, Itachi thought she might have fallen.

"Sasuke-kun collapsed and he's in shock. I think it's-"

The older Uchiha nodded his head and guided his guest back to her house. She would be at ease if her beloved was in view, he decided. With each step he took towards his brother, his own anxieties grew. What if his otōto wouldn't accept him in the house? There were plenty of reasons he knew that would be spat at him. He wouldn't counter a single one.

A blond man sat in the room's only surplus seating- a wooden rocking chair Itachi suspected Sakura had picked out- with a worried look on his face. However, at seeing the party of two, he perked up to his feet and grabbed hold of the pinkette's hand.

"I think he might be waking up," the blond grinned wildly.

Sakura didn't question the mood swing, so Itachi left it alone. He knew his brother's teammates had languages all their own simply in facial ticks, but Itachi had no interpreter. He vaguely sensed unease from Naruto's chakra when they entered, but it smoothed over with seeing Sakura.

Were they worried he wouldn't come to see his brother?

While the Uchiha ruminated, the medic began her repertoire of tests again in an effort to determine wakefulness. When she felt a twitch of fingers by her side as she leaned over her husband, she knew the blond had been correct. She righted herself and watched with a twinge of sadness as Sasuke's features stirred back from stone to flesh.

His eyes fluttered open in squints and his fingers balled and stretched, flexing too-tight muscles. Consciousness struggled to obtain dominance over the warm delirium of sleep. Finally, in the last throes of drowsiness, Sasuke sat up and delivered a goofy smile to his wife.

No one in the room except the pinkette had ever seen the smile, and as such, the boys were slightly taken aback.

"Morning," he drawled, stretching his arms to the sky. "Want me to make break-" the Uchiha stopped, memories dawning on him as the bright sun shone into his eyes. It wasn't early morning. Rather, he had fainted. The smile on his face darkened into a frown. Barely registering the arms slung around his neck, Sasuke glanced around to see his confused company.

"What're you doing here," he growled at Itachi. Naruto was there when he fell, and he knew the blond wouldn't leave Sakura. But why was-

"Imōto asked me to come," Itachi explained calmly.

Sasuke's blood boiled and he shrugged off the arms he just realized were resting on him. He turned to glare at their bewildered owner. "Can I speak to you somewhere else?" He asked.

Itachi's stomach rolled. He knew what was coming next.

Sakura's quirked eyebrows spoke to her unsurety. "Okay?" Quietly, she followed him into the next room.

As they left, Naruto approached Itachi. "Do you know what's going on?"

The elder Uchiha nodded.

"We should stay here for Sakura-chan," Naruto decided for the both of them.

Itachi knew that would be the conclusion, but wondered if that was for the best.

* * *

"Sakura," Sasuke paced, hand covering his face.

She sat quietly on the couch in their guest room, her hands busying themselves in exploring their old scars from training. Apparently, medical work had dirtied her hands something awful. Small ridges of tissue popped up along her palms in uneven intervals, leaving her anxious fingers with lots to discover.

"I've... Been having nightmares," Sasuke began unsteadily. His pacing slowed to a methodical stride back and forth as he tread dents into the clean carpet.

"About your past?"

"Aa. And they got to me. All at once."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Sasuke noticed the hurt in her voice. He didn't envy himself the next sentence. "I thought you were cheating on me, so I-"

"Wait, you _what_?" The pinkette stood up, hands flying to her husband's chest. One pulled him to face her and the other poked into his chest with a sharp, short nail.

He shrugged lightly as if the matter was inconsequential. He hoped to calm her fury so he could tell her that he'd since dismissed the possibility.

"Don't you dare shrug me off, you little..." Her jab thrust deeper into his chest and her voice turned into a growl.

Sasuke recognized that as the same reaction Naruto gave when Kurama had wanted to play.

"You thought I was _what_, again?" She smiled, her teeth grinding into each other.

Sasuke felt his back hit the wall and he sighed inwardly. "Cheating on me, but-"

"Now what in the world makes you think that, Sasuke?"

His skin prickled. He had only been 'Sasuke' to her once- when the war ended and she slugged him for leaving for all those years. Everything in him wanted to avoid that again.

She took his silence as his defense. "I loved you," she seethed, "when no one else did. When we were weeks from getting married, you left on a convenient mission. During our honeymoon, you left without telling me where you were going. I just woke up one morning and you were gone."

His eyes turned away from her gaze. Her finger had turned white from the pressure she was applying to his chest. Her face shone red with anger, laced with hurt, and devoid of any semblance of stopping her tirade any time soon. He would avoid her cutting glare as best he could- he fury burned like knives into him, melting to his core. He'd forgotten this anger existed in her.

"And when you were hiding your problems from me," she continued, "I was making you dinners I wouldn't eat and working overtime at the hospital so I could spend the weekend with you. Meanwhile, you accuse me of cheating. Now I'm even less convinced that this marriage isn't merely one of convenience for you."

Between his own pain from her words, Sasuke noticed she sniffled at the end of the sentence. Had she devolved into her usual crying? He could calm her from that, for sure, and then prove to her that no such thing was going on. As he shifted his eyes back to her, the Uchiha shuddered to see her face steel.

"Sasuke, you and I both know you've never really loved me. I tried to ignore it, but the truth has a way of getting out, huh? Guess this way you'll have a reason to break it off with the girl you find so annoying. At least now we won't have to pretend."

She retreated from him and balled her fists, striding away.

Sasuke's insides shriveled under her words, but burned to nothing as she left. Her furor he could take, her sadness he could bear, but her silence he could not. Like a man pleading for his life, he dogged her heels and grabbed at her wrists but was jerked away. A sneer was cast his way.

His heart broke again as he followed her into their bedroom, her shouldering past the other two guests. Sasuke recognized what she was doing and made another futile attempt to change her mind.

"Sakura, please," he begged, forgetting his Uchiha pride and those around him. "Don't leave."

She spun on her heels. Her eyes were flint. "Give me a good reason, Sasuke, and I might consider it."

Naruto tried to hide his shock at the scene unfolding before him. Was Sasuke clutching her skirts and Sakura throwing clothes in a bag?

Sasuke's brain wouldn't cooperate with him, however, and he simply pulled Sakura into a kiss, his subconscious decided both that he wanted one last kiss and reasoned that if he did something he never did- show affection in public- that he could convince her.

She slapped his face, a sharp pain running through his cheekbone and he assumed it was broken with the force she put into it. Her feet carried her to press flush against him, her pack stuffed across her shoulder, and a fierce and determined frown planted onto her face.

"Goodbye, Sasuke."

She disappeared in a whirl of cherry blossoms as he reached for her. His arms flailed around emptiness. Eyes roving the room, senses checking for her chakra, heart shooting messages to his mind that stung as much as his broken cheekbone, his whole being was consumed with confusion and hurt.

A hand reached out to him. Itachi's. Sasuke's initial reaction would've been to hurl his brother out, but the look in Itachi's eyes told him not to.

"I'm sorry, again, Otōto. It seems that your assumptions about me have led to this."

"You knew?" Sasuke spat, incredulous. "You knew and said nothing?"

"What was there to say when my words would have been taken as proof of the opposite?"

Naruto stood on, trying to pick between taking in his pink haired friend and listening to the brothers' argument. His heart told him to find the woman, but he knew she needed to blow up a little more. She wasn't done- he had come to learn the stages to her anger in all their years of friendship- and she would have yet another fit before she could be apologized to.

Sasuke had to admit, his brother had a point. In his distrust of his wife and Itachi, he had taken their friendship as illicit. Rather than reason things out or ask the more trustworthy of the pair, the younger Uchiha had let the jealousy of his youth consume him. What she said made sense, to a point. He had been shifty before their wedding and even during their honeymoon.

Though, each could be easily explained- the mission brought in extra spending money and he had woken up early during their honeymoon to make sure the festival would accept outsiders. He had tried so desperately to show Sakura love, but her rage demonstrated his monstrous failure.

His brother shattered his pity party. "Otōto, are you going to let her go?" Itachi's voice was laced with real concern.

"No. And I'm not going to make her come back," he frowned, eliminating the question before it came up. "I'll just...wait." For what, he did not know.

* * *

**A/N:** _Hi! This was a hard chapter, I hate conflict, so it's hard to write it. And I know Sakura leaving is cliché, but I think it was necessary. Overall, I'm kinda pleased with this story. I'd like to thank all of you for sticking with me so far and ask you'd continue to keep of showing me with your support! I love reading reviews (hint, hint?) Till next time!_


	13. Chapter 13

Pink hair slipped into a tightly woven bun. Its owner sighed deeply, wishing she could control water jutsu's temperature. Sakura had hidden herself inside the Uchiha District, assuming with its dead quiet that she could house-hop and stay away from both living Uchiha. Though the arrangement worked, she had to deal with cold showers and mostly ramen for meals. Whatever could create little trash, little signs of life, little traces of her sadness. She had to stay hidden until... Until she felt she was ready.

Though she wanted Itachi's advice, she didn't want to encounter Sasuke. Her blood ran hot at the thought of her husband. Another aching sigh escaped her exasperated lungs. That man. How had her heart beat silly just a few months ago at their engagement, but now his name alone was enough to launch her into a tirade?

Blowing her soggy bangs out of her hair for the umpteenth time, Sakura sat down at a small wooden table. She vaguely recalled Sasuke showing her around the District when they began dating. His hand had tightened its grip on hers as they passed this house, and she had no idea why at the time. Later, after questioning Itachi, she discovered it was their childhood home.

Sure, hiding across the street from her husband was likely a bad decision, but Sakura risked it. "I'll move tonight," she muttered to herself, running her small, pale fingers over the deeply stained wood. They stuttered at blood stains, and her stomach flopped. "No wonder Sasuke-kun hates this house," she shuddered.

The honorific had found its way back onto his name the day after the fight. She realized that hot fury doesn't last long enough to permanently change things, but that residual bursts of stormy anger gave enough sticking power to not make things right. Sakura wanted to pout for a while.

And so pout she would. Remembering why she sat down, the pinkette pulled a scroll out of her pocket and scribbled a letter to the hospital on it.

_I'm fine, but would like to request a few days off. I'm _

What excuse would she use? There was no way she could blatantly tell the truth to the whole staff- Shizune, of course, and she would tell Tsunade later, too, but not everyone else. Suddenly, a thought came to her. Her mouth peaked up at its corners as she scrawled,

_visiting my in-laws' graves._

There. Now no one would bother her when she got back, or expect anything of her for a while. Her co-workers knew Sasuke to be an intense man, one of customs and traditions, one who might just make a week out of mourning. Rolling the scroll up, Sakura addressed her new problem- transporting the message to the hospital. The distance wasn't the problem; her chakra control could make quick work of that issue. No, using chakra at all was the dilemma. If she transformed to deliver the message, her neighbors would detect it. If she teleported herself, it'd be even more obvious.

"I'll just have to risk this," she frowned. Masking her own presence, the pinkette carefully sent the scroll over the several kilometers. Without any assurance that it completed the journey, Sakura wouldn't be completely satisfied, but it'd have to do.

Standing to her feet, she meandered into the kitchen and wrung her hair dry over the sink. Droplets fell unsystematically, like rainwater, into the metal. Clinks sounded significantly louder in such an empty house. She had to banish the thought that no one likely had lived in the mansion since the tragedy- it was no time for sympathy towards her husband.

When she was pleased with her hair, Sakura took to wandering the house. Her hands busied themselves running through her bangs absently as her eyes roved the tall walls and high ceilings. The previous nights, she had crept outside of the District and henged to eat dinner in peace. She had slept most of the days away, slipping in and out of fitful consciousness. Her mind was cluttered with contradicting ideas, none of which seemed pleasant.

Go back to Sasuke and apologize. Leave him forever. Make him find you. Run to Itachi and ask for help. Hide for another week.

Nothing helped, she soon discovered, as the tea she bought in the market didn't steep enough with cold water. The windows were too obvious, and what little light came into the house wasn't enough to read by in the day, much less at night. She was left to her thoughts, then, and that scared her.

So wandering seemed like a good alternative. Staying as close to the inside walls and as far from the windows as possible, she slinked around her husband's childhood home. Bloodstains splattered some walls, and coupled with the paint peeling from years of disrepair, goosebumps found their way onto Sakura's arms.

One door led to Itachi's room- she guessed it was his from the now too-small set of ANBU gear hanging on the wall. Another was obviously the master bedroom, complete with a canopy bed and murals of the couple looking somber and official. From Sasuke's description, Mikoto had never been a serious woman. Sakura wondered how the paintings came to be.

A third door revealed a little boy's room. Small toys splayed across the floor, obviously left in a haste. She bent over to clutch a small dinosaur to her chest, and breathed deeply. The smell of musty house and years-old dirt greeted her. Sakura guessed he had gone to school one day and never entered this room again. Her heart tightened. How could she be mad at him for hiding this from her? But, how could she not? If she felt so...impassioned just seeing the evidence of the massacre, how could Sasuke live in it next door to the perpetrator?

But Itachi wasn't like that any longer, Sakura reminded herself, closing the door behind her. She needed fresh air- the memories Sasuke had hastily explained to her became all too real in this house.

But daylight would last for several more hours, she realized. Sakura threw herself onto a guest bed several rooms down and prayed for sleep. It came hours later.

* * *

When Sasuke heard his door shaking under a heavy knock, he assumed it was Naruto. The blond had come by every day since Sakura left to see if she'd returned. Sasuke's face would snake into a frown, and Naruto would leave with sagging shoulders and a full-body sigh tugging on his bones.

It hurt Sasuke to disappoint his friend like that, so he was relieved when he didn't recognize the chakra signature of his visitor. Only momentarily, though, because he realized that meant a stranger was intruding on his personal space. So with a glower, he unlocked the door.

"Hn," he called as it opened, a kunai in his hidden hand.

"Sasuke-kun," a friendly voice called.

He returned the kunai to his pocket. "Hinata." They had never spoken much, even though she was Naruto's wife. That explained his not recognizing her, but wouldn't scratch the surface of why she was here.

"I w-wanted to see if S-sakura-san has returned yet." A frown fell onto her face. "But I s-suppose your d-disappointment is answer enough."

"Why isn't your husband here?"

Hinata seemed unfazed by his curt response. "He's on a m-mission. I knew he'd w-want me to a-ask each day he m-missed, s-so here I am."

"Aa." Sasuke tried to soften his look. "Thanks. So, uh," he looked away, unsure of how to phrase his words, "congrats." He hoped she'd know what for.

"Thank you!" Hinata beamed, her hands clasping in front of her.

Sasuke swore she bounced on her heels as she said it. "Were you and Sakura close? I missed a lot in those years."

"Y-yes, we were. A-all of the k-kunoichi are. That's why I k-know all about their r-relationships."

"All about them?"

"Y-yes. They sometimes, um, confide in m-me."

"Did Sakura and you recently-"

"N-no, Sasuke-kun, I don't k-know where she is."

If he hadn't been paying attention, Sasuke would've assumed she was telling the truth. As such, he merely nodded. She'd tell him eventually, he assumed.

"I-I'll be going now," the Uzumaki woman smiled politely.

Sasuke closed the door as she retreated. He'd have to recognize her chakra signature, too, now, that she was coming to see him every day. Maybe he could persuade her for information on Sakura with time. Sticking his hands in his pockets, the Uchiha plodded to his kitchen.

"It's quiet without Sakura," he sighed, digging ingredients put of the fridge.

"Then go find her," his brother shrugged.

"Why do you keep coming into my house?" Sasuke glared backwards.

"Because it's lonely in my house, too."

"Make tea," Sasuke frowned. He'd gotten used to the strange set-up over the past few days. Only now, he didn't have Naruto bumbling around his house asking when dinner was ready. Hinata had apparently been staying with Neji and Tenten for a few days, and the blond took it upon himself to annoy Sasuke every minute until she returned.

Sasuke had tried to reason that Naruto could've gone with his wife, but the dobe would have nothing of it.

Itachi suspected Naruto's motives for staying with Sasuke were the same as his- neither trusted the younger Uchiha could well and truly take care of himself any more. Sakura babied him, the ponytailed man snickered silently. His otōto had gotten used to it, too.

"Why're you laughing?" Sasuke grumbled from across the kitchen.

Itachi made no reply, but hid a smile carefully.

"Where did Sakura leave that pan?"

Another round of laughter threatened in Itachi's throat, but he schooled it and began to make tea amidst his younger brother's clanking of pots and pans. It might be a while until Sakura returned, but he would make excellent use of it.

* * *

"Otōto, you know you could've asked her about us," Itachi suggested during dinner.

"And what? Ended up angrier," Sasuke fumed, stabbing his food.

"About what? She was worried you were leaving her before you were married!" Itachi's eyes darkened and his voice climbed louder than normal. It settled quickly, however, and he took to staring at his brother again.

"Exactly. Why would she think that?"

"Had you told her why you left for nearly a month?"

"No."

"Hn." Itachi said pointedly.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted back.

Silence fell for a few minutes, neither wanting to press farther.

Sasuke sighed inwardly. He knew it was wrong to keep things from Sakura, but how was he supposed to tell her? Nothing was easy to say, not even that he loved her. Why hadn't his attempts at affection reached her? "Why didn't she know how much I cared?" He pondered out loud, hoping secretly for an answer.

Itachi didn't offer one for a quiet minute. "I suppose it's none of my business, but do you tell her that you do?"

Sasuke frowned. "I show her. Words are cheap."

"Not from one who used to act mute," Itachi smiled, remembering Sakura's description of a teenage Sasuke. "Maybe she thought you'd reverted and believed her annoying again."

Sasuke's frown deepened. "How do you know so much about her?"

"Well, Otōto, she did talk to me for three weeks. She was a nervous wreck."

More silence ensured as Sasuke ruminated. What had transpired while he was gone, come to think of it? Had they-

"But," Itachi sighed, sensing his brother's mood shifting, "we mainly talked about you." It was something the two had in common, their worries about Sasuke. Naturally, a bond formed between the two committed shinobi.

"Me?" It was news to Sasuke. He found a small sense of shame well up in him that he continued to doubt Sakura. Determining to trust her again, he asked, "Why me?"

"Well, other than being shinobi, Imōto and I are very different. She saves lives and I've ended countless." He sounded ashamed. "We had little to talk about, but you provide plenty of material."

Sasuke bristled. He tried to fight that impulse that their discussion had been like two concerned parents, but knew it was likely true. "What about when I got home?" He asked sheepishly.

"What to do with you," Itachi chuckled. "You're still scowling at me, even knowing that your wife loved you. She wanted the anger to go away."

"I never hurt her intentionally," Sasuke promised, staring determinedly at his brother. "I could never-"

"I know," Itachi assured him. "But she knew we didn't get along."

Sasuke nodded. He looked down at the empty plate, refusing to meet the eyes of the man staring back at him. "What do I do now?"

Itachi's gaze softened into a smile. Reaching across the table, he thumped his brother on the forehead as he had countless times before. "Make amends."

* * *

Sakura woke up as darkness began to fall, shifting from velvety sunset to hazy gray. She gathered her few possessions she lugged around- her bag containing two changes of clothes, some money, a bar of soap, a toothbrush and toothpaste- and shoved sandals onto her feet. The back door seemed appealing tonight as she particularly didn't want to run into Itachi. She'd heard noise coming from her house earlier, and knew that meant the brothers were arguing.

She didn't have to imagine what about. Again, her blood quivered angrily and she took thick, heavy steps to vent her frustrations. Until, that is, she realized stealth was necessary for the task at hand. She'd mastered how to transform undetected, sure, but hadn't had to really perfected the execution.

So, quickly henging into a man with dark hair and light eyes, she heaved her pack onto her shoulder and stole across the rooftops that led her outside the District. Electric lines hung unevenly across the landscape and nearly tangled her up once. She had about lost her shoe twice and the bag was sliding down the silky material of her transformed outfit.

After leaving the immediate 'danger,' Sakura's pace relaxed. Avoiding Ichiraku's, as she was sure Naruto would recognize her even transformed, the pinkette set out for a quiet restaurant she knew Ino loved.

The blonde had dragged Shikamaru there several times, so the food must be good, Sakura decided. Or he was in love. A small chuckle was tamped down behind her lips.

"Table for one?" The waitress smiled.

"Yes," Sakura smiled back, shifting her pack carefully. A waiter the night before had asked her about it- she didn't want questions any more.

"Right this way."

* * *

**A/N:** _Hi! Sorry for not updating for like... A week? Life got hectic as my teacher gave us our final early. Craziness ensued. Review if you liked this chapter, please- it's great motivation! Thanks for following me to this point. Also, if you have time, please R&R my high school AU story- I'm trying to decide whether to keep it or not. Thanks! Till next time._


	14. Chapter 14

"Thanks for meeting me here on such short notice," Sakura grinned sheepishly as she pulled her chair out.

A dark-haired, dark-eyed woman smiled back. "N-no problem, Sakura-chan."

"Nice disguise, too, Hinata," Sakura chuckled, her transformation turning her voice mannish. "What's good here?"

"I don't k-know, Ino-san loves it here, t-though, right?"

"Yeah. I haven't seen her in a while," the pinkette mused. Her head propped up against her palm, she grinned wildly at the woman in front of her. "So, are you excited about your baby?"

Hinata's face glowed as her whole countenance melted into a smile. "Yes."

Sakura's grin diminished as she turned back to her menu. "I guess tempura it is," she huffed out, closing the plastic pages as their waiter approached.

"Are you ready to order? Or, can I get you something to drink?"

"Y-yes, I think so."

"What'll it be then, sir?"

Sakura recognized after a half second that she was the 'sir.' "Water."

"Black tea."

"And then, what'll you be having for dinner?"

"Tempura."

"R-red bean soup," Hinata smiled, handing her menu to the waiter. She was always glad when a restaurant had her favorite.

"I'll be right back with your drinks."

They nodded their ascent and were left in silence for a moment, neither sure of how to proceed. Though Sakura knew she'd have to tell Hinata the whole story, she had hoped to not have to do it in the middle of an eatery. Hinata, respecting the touchy subject and the even touchier woman in front of her, kept her eyes glued onto her hands.

Finally, a sigh from her dinner mate's lips caught her attention.

"S-sakura-chan?"

"I just wish that he had trusted me," Hinata heard her mutter into her hands. As if she suddenly remembered she was to act like a man, Sakura slipped her arms onto the table and set a glare on her face.

"About what?" Hinata was curious. She knew Sasuke to be fierce- fiercely loyal, fiercely strong, fiercely independent- but never did she hear Naruto talk about Sasuke being fiercely worried.

"He thought I was involved with Itachi," Sakura snapped, keeping her voice low to not attract attention to herself.

"O-oh no," Hinata gasped, hand covering her mouth. "What d-did Itachi-san think?"

"He wasn't happy either."

"U-understandably."

"Yeah," Sakura quieted down when their drinks came.

"It'll just be another few minutes before your food is ready," their waiter assured them as he moved onto his next table.

A few quiet sips punctuated the otherwise silent table the women shared. Both thought of what to do next, how to move forward, how to fix the situation.

"D-did you t-talk to him?"

"Well, it started out as talking," Sakura chuckled, tugging on a piece of her air and looking away.

"S-sasuke-kun yelled at y-you?" Hinata's eyes were wide.

"No, I yelled at him."

Silence covered them like a blanket, thick and wooly. Neither knew what to say. The din of noise surrounding them grew and waned systematically, rising in small crescendos and falling into pianissimo slowly by slowly.

"Have you s-spoken since?" Hinata queried after their food had been delivered. Small slurps unbefitting an heiress escaped her occasionally, followed by pinkened cheeks.

"No. I've been staying in the Compound, but I haven't seen him. I've only come out transformed."

Hinata nodded. "Well, d-do you want a w-warm shower? Or s-some clean clothes? You c-could c-come by the house if y-you'd like to."

Sakura placed her hand on top of Hinata's, stopping eating her tempura to smile gently at her friend. "I really am okay. I only have a week to miss from work; well have to make up before then. Though," she trailed off, shoving another bite in her mouth to distract her from the reality of her situation.

"T-though you d-don't want to?" Hinata tried to fill in the blanks.

"It's not that. I just... I just am tired, I guess."

"S-sasuke-kun seemed t-tired, too. N-naruto-kun wanted me t-to see how you were d-doing everyday, so I stopped by y-your house."

Sakura shoved her hands over her face. That was too much. After he begged her- literally- to stay, could she stand knowing he was bothered by it? Wait. No. She _should_ be mad at him. He didn't trust her to not cheat on him, after all! But then why was her heart tugging her back to her house, and ultimately, back to Sasuke?

She knew the answer, really. It was the same reason she didn't give up on him after he left the village. The same reason that propelled her into her work and into training to prove herself. Well, she had done that. And she won the heart of her childhood crush, too- but her heart scoffed at her for the way that turned out.

When their meal was over and both paid their share, they turned their separate ways, Hinata again offering Sakura to stay with her.

"I'll be fine, Hina. Thank you, though. I, uh... I need to stay close by," Sakura sighed.

Hinata gave her one of her famous hugs, waved, and walked back to her home.

Sakura, heaving another sigh and driving her hands into her pockets, did the same.

It was dark when she greeted the gates of the Uchiha District. When she was younger, she felt excited just by the sight of the wooden structure that blocked them from her. Something in her responded to the secrecy and strangeness of the hallowed clan, most of all one of their heirs. Sasuke had always had the reigns to her heart.

What she failed to realize was that she likewise possessed his. In his time in Otogakure, the youngest Uchiha refused any girl that turned his way. Claiming it was in the name of pursuing revenge even more doggedly, Sasuke resisted the nagging of his heart that the pinkette from Konoha had thoroughly and forevermore taken him.

As Sakura released the transformation, she found herself staring into the darkened window of her home. Her pack slung lazily across her back, slapping her arms in an attempt to coerce her with every step. The sandals on her feet weren't her favorite, either, they protested- she should've taken the ones she customarily wore around the village.

With the thought of clean clothes- and, if she was dead quiet, a warm shower- nipping at her, she took cautious steps onto the front porch of her grandiose home. The key turned sharply in the door, the tumblers sliding what Sakura felt was too loudly. Even the swallows of saliva in her throat seemed to echo throughout the quiet halls of her home.

She held her breath as she crossed the threshold of her room. Sasuke was asleep on the bed, snoring in the way she recognized as when he wasn't going to wake for hours. She barely contained a sigh of relief. Still tiptoeing, she replaced her dirty clothes with fresh ones, stuffing the worn articles into her drawer.

With a worried glance back at her husband, she threw off her outfit in a hurried attempt to shower silently. The water in their house was quiet, she knew, and though it was a long shot, the continued snoring soothed her into the bathroom. Yellow light from the dying bulb shone from the crack under the door, giving her another worry.

But the enticing idea of hot water against her skin was just too much to pass up.

* * *

Minutes later, shaved, clean, and dressed in fresh clothes, Sakura flipped the switch for the bathroom light. Eyes adjusting to the returned darkness, she grabbed a different pair of sandals. One last refused sigh after her most recent look towards her husband and she stole out of her house, not bothering to make it look like she wasn't there.

No need, really, she decided. Deep down, Sakura wanted reconciliation, but pettiness dominated and told her to make Sasuke find her. She'd leave clues or something, she decided. A yawn escaped her mouth as she stretched onto a bed in another Uchiha house. Tomorrow. She'd leave clues tomorrow.

* * *

When Sasuke woke, he found- or rather, missed- a towel in his bathroom and discovered that some of Sakura's clothes had been shoved into her drawer. He inspected the entrance of his home and noticed that her shoes had been exchanged as well.

He frowned, scratching his head. When did she come? Why was she still avoiding him?

And why hadn't he noticed her when she was there? After he had a cup of coffee, he realized her chakra signatures were everywhere- the bathroom, the hallway, even the side of the bed- and assumed that he must've been pretty out of it.

Throwing her dirty clothes into the laundry with his, and discovering the towel she used already in the laundry basket, Sasuke decided to find her. He needed to. If she was willing to come to their house, even in the middle of the night, surely she realized that he was ready to make up, too?

His mind snapped back to where he noticed her presence even faintly. She had sat down next to him in his sleep, and he still hadn't woken up? Slapping himself for not being more aware, he also smiled inwardly that she missed him, too.

"What's this? My otōto, smiling?"

"Shut it, Aniki." Sasuke had resigned himself to his brother popping in at all hours of the day.

"I'm merely concerned for your well being," Itachi teased. "If you start to smile now, what will that wife of yours think? She'll think it's her fault you don't smile."

Sasuke turned so his brother couldn't see his ears turn red. One of Sakura's signature smiles popped into his mind- the half-moon mouth, closed eyes, and a scrunched up nose- and it melted him. It was then that he realized how much he missed her. Before, it had been in small doses.

He'd move a pillow next to him in the night, but it didn't have a steady heartbeat to sooth his nightmares or small arms to intertwine with his own. The pillow didn't giggle back, screaming that he was holding it too tightly. Neither did his brother's help in the kitchen duplicate her helping him and vice versa. While Sakura felt she wasn't well-versed in cooking, Sasuke would enjoy both her meals and her company. No teasing, ponytailed older brother could replace the laughter Sakura spread throughout his bones.

"Sasuke?" Itachi's voice broke his reverie.

"Hn."

"Did you see this?"

Sasuke turned back around to see Itachi bending over. He reached into one of Sasuke's shoes and pulled out a scrap of paper.

The younger Uchiha snatched it from his brother's hand.

"I'm assuming no, then."

Sasuke recognized with a small skip in his heart that this was Sakura's writing. His face fell into a frown when he read the note, though.

_Shishō wants to try something with Shisui's eye. She needs both you and Itachi's approval. Meet with her._

He scowled. What was Sakura doing involving herself so heavily in work when she could use their relationship as an excuse? But, at the same time, when was she ever known to shirk work? _  
_

Itachi peered over his shoulder, trying to see what soured his brother's mood so quickly. "Shisui's-?"

"We found it during the mission," Sasuke explained.

Itachi nodded. "What do you think-?"

"I never know what the Hokage wants."

"Hn." After a pause, Itachi asked, "Why do you think Sakura left the note?"

"She probably went into work today. She left clothes here last night and took a shower, too, so I'm not sure where she is." Was she safe? Sasuke's mind roved over possibilities of where she would stay that didn't have running water. None of the ideas were satisfactory.

"Could she be trying to lead you to her?"

"Doubt it." Despite that, Sasuke hoped his brother was right.

Another pause. "Do you want to let Tsunade-same use the eye?"

"Your best friend. Your choice."

Itachi sighed, tugging at his ponytail. "I'll think about it."

With that, he was gone, and Sasuke again was alone. A small voice in him told him to go visit his family's hastily-constructed gravesite, but he had no idea why. He had refused when Sakura suggested the idea before- maybe he felt guilty about turning down her request? Nevertheless, seeing nothing better to do, he steeled his nerves and set out down the long dirt road of the District.

In the daytime, the abandoned buildings merely seemed empty. The sun shone into them, revealing cobwebs and broken glass. The District had been damaged in all the fighting that occurred in the past decade, but without anyone to live in the homes, the repairs done seemed foolish. Still, it warmed Sasuke's opinion of Konoha. Always they seemed to be impressing upon him just how ridiculous his desire to destroy the village was.

The road led straight up towards an Uchiha temple that supposedly held the patron deity of the clan, but Sasuke was only interested in the shortcut it provided. Under the third row of seats was a staircase, one that few members even knew about. It led- through muddy crawl space and dark passage- to a clearing where the slaughtered had been buried. Any other path took much longer.

Sasuke had, in his boyhood, spent hours crying, clutching onto the molding marble that had Mikoto and Fugaku carved into it. Later, he recognized the same desperate glances from his sensei towards the memorial stone his friends' names had been inscribed into. Sadness was a friend of many following the war as well, but Sasuke's was reserved for the piles of rock with his clansmen's names on them.

After squeezing through the tunnel that he frustratingly remembered as wider, Sasuke escaped into the knoll of overgrown weeds and wildflowers. His eyes widened as he caught sight of a truly bizarre sight- his wife.

* * *

Sakura had figured after leaving the note in the wee hours of the morning that she would honor what her excuse to the hospital was. She vaguely remembered something about a passage to the burial grounds, but it took her another hour to find which row of seats housed the tunnel. She made her way up and out after some finagling and discovered a breathtaking patch of greenery that housed the resting place of her in-laws.

A small gasp escaped her as she surveyed the hill- all she could think of was the sheer number of erected memorial stones. It took her several minutes of looking to find a name she recognized- Shisui. The one whose eye she had approached Tsunade about. Once the medics had ascertained that no amount of information could be extracted from the organ, Sakura came up with a plan. One that could, in theory, end with a properly sighted Kakashi.

She thought it was reverent, then, and definitely appropriate, to thank the eye's original owner. So it was that when Sasuke spotted her, she was bent over whispering to a piece of marble.

"Sakura?" His voice cracked.

She spun on her heels, nearly terrified at his presence. "Sasuke-kun?"

* * *

**A/N:** _I'm bad at updating what needs to be updated. Still trying to figure out whether to scrap my high school AU or not. Should be writing a lab report for Chemistry. Whoops. Tell me what you think of this chapter- I'd love to hear your feedback! _

Also_, _**huge thank you** to everyone who's reviewed, favorited, or followed my story so far. Your encouragement keeps me going, guys! Nearly 10k views on an idea I didn't think would work, especially for my first story on this site. Thank you all so much!


	15. Chapter 15

Sakura thought, in retrospect, that it was terrible to make good on a lie. Her 'excuse note,' as she called it, didn't need to be addressed. No one would've thought anything of it when she walked into surgery in six days' time and seemed upset. She could've easily hid the fact that she was technically estranged from her husband.

But no. She had to go and validate the lie.

The wind blew up around her, swirling her skirt playfully. Her hair went wild and whipped at her ears, stuck to the inside of her slack-jawed mouth, and disgruntled her already unprofessional image.

It merely moved the spikes of Sasuke's hair a half inch off their usual place.

Neither spoke for a moment, just looked and let the wind carry their feelings.

Sasuke was nervous, but he determined not to show it. His fingers flexed rigidly and relaxed in waves, but he tried to hide the shiftiness by his sides. His tongue felt stuck to the roof of his mouth, all saliva gone, and he found it difficult to swallow. If he had thought through the situation a hundred times before leaving his house he still wouldn't have guessed Sakura would turn up at the cemetary.

Sakura spun around at the stilling of the wind and tried to still her heart. Kneeling, she bent over and whispered her respects to Shisui's grave. Her hand clutched to her chest, attempting to slow her breathing and regulate the wild drumbeat of her pulse. She could feel the blood rush through her ears and drown out her husband's words.

"He shouldn't have been in this cemetary."

Sakura jumped in her skin when she realized Sasuke was standing beside her. Though she'd showered at her home the night before, she wasn't used to his presence as anything more than a thing to be avoided. Goosebumps rose up on her arms when he moved to kneel beside her.

"He committed suicide so he wouldn't have his other eye taken. Really, I'd heard his body was destroyed beyond recognition..."

Vaguely, Sakura turned her gaze to her husband. In her youth, she remembered a hushed conversation shared between her parents that involved an Uchiha suicide. Never before had she known how close it was to her husband.

"Shisui-san didn't want to be involved in the coup. He was a double agent of sorts." Sasuke shifted his eyes over to his wife. His eyes widened and darted away when he saw that she met his gaze.

Sakura's jaw dropped. Sasuke added an honorific to Shisui's name. And was Sasuke looking away like a little kid? Was he... _Nervous_? She nearly chuckled, but remembered the situation. Standing to her feet, she breathed deeply. She planted her hands to her hips and tried to muster a smile, but it didn't work.

Sasuke used none of his usual grace to stand up. The way he pushed off the ground, the way his eyes shut closed just as they would've seen the name written on the grave, the way his hair hung as if it was sad... All of this made him seem human. More human than Sakura had seen in a long time.

It was as if the boy she healed in the hospital following the war was back- the one uncertain of his future and quiet in a softer way than he had been before.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke whispered. The wind carried his voice away and he worried he'd have to repeat it. Though his pride was on the line, so was his marriage. Something in him told him he'd have enough courage to apologize until she accepted. Still, he couldn't hold too tightly to hope. His accusations against her were fierce, to say the least.

She jerked her eyes up to try and meet his. What had possessed him so suddenly to say that? Why had he- but the look in his eyes, the ones he still refused to show her full on, told her he wasn't lying.

"Sasuke-kun, are you-?"

His eyes turned to hers, wild. They danced in an erratic pattern, flittering all over her face rather than landing on her eyes. He was still worried, though he tried to hide it. He knew it was a vain attempt, but he was an Uchiha, and their pride was important, right?

A small hand timorously latching onto his dashed his want of pride away. Before her twitching digits could land on his, he pulled her by her wrist into him. As she thudded against his chest, he wrapped his other arm around her protectively. He breathed in deeply, hoping the gesture could last.

She tensed. He let go. The look in his eyes held another apology; she waved it away.

"Look, I know that it's unlikely you'll accept my apology," he said, looking away.

Sakura already had.

"And I know you probably don't want to live together again, after all of this."

She put her hands on her hips. Where was he getting this from?

"But I'd like to, even if it was just a sham."

"You mean, you just want appearances to seem right," Sakura replied, a glint in her eye that implied she was teasing. Because he wouldn't look at her, he didn't catch it.

"No!" He muttered forcefully, his head shaking. His tone calmed. "No."

She stepped closer to him. "Then what? Want me to become a repopulation machine?"

Sasuke's eyes closed forcefully, painfully. His heart ached. "No," he stressed.

"Open your eyes, Uchiha," she called out from a breath away from him. Her face was close to his- she was standing on her tiptoes- and he could feel her breath intermingle with his.

He did as he was told and saw her bright, cheery green eyes that he had missed so sorely.

Just as she was leaning closer to his lips, her eyes caught sight of a strange image. A pigeon was flying in circles, uneasily taking flight from a high branch. It held paper in its beak, as well as a cherry blossom petal. The hospital's sign that she was wanted. The bird likely had been given her chakra to track and having been confused by Sasuke's strong presence, flapped without definite purpose.

She sighed. "I'll be back, Sasuke-kun."

His eyes followed hers as far over his shoulder as they could, but the dull pain in his head told him he couldn't look any farther. When his eyes went back to her, she was a rushing mess of pink and flying skirt. One of her shoes had been abandoned in front of him, left in her mad dash to...wherever.

He was confused. And above all, Sasuke Uchiha hated to be confused about his wife. Picking up her shoe, he meandered the long way around back to his house. Maybe Hinata would come by later and he could pester her then for information.

* * *

Sakura didn't have time to secure her sandals, unfortunately, or grab her scrubs. In her frenzied run, she forgot that she could've teleported to the hospital. Coming up on its high metal gates, she was almost glad she had. The operation she was likely called in for would require lots of chakra from her.

The doors slid open and shut as she passed through, striding past the information desk at the hospital's entrance. The nurse there called out a hello, but she didn't respond.

Three flights of stairs, two crowded nurses stations, her office for a change of clothes, and a flight into the ER after finding Shizune later, Sakura was coaxing a needle into her sensei's arm.

"Count backwards from ten," she suggested routinely.

He obliged. "Ten, nine, eiighhht," he drawled, the medicine affecting even the skilled jonin quickly.

Sakura nearly smiled. Her head spun as she reviewed what the procedure was. It would likely be a long operation, one that Tsunade would join in on after the prep work had been done.

That smile did find its way onto her face after she realized the circumstances that led to her performing this surgery. One of the Uchiha brothers, likely Itachi, had to approve of her use of the eye. She'd learned from Tsunade that Itachi and Kakashi were teammates at one point- she could only beam at what this meant. Not only was her sensei being helped by one of his friends, but he also would get to keep his abilities he'd grown used to. Itachi could rest knowing the eye would be taken care of.

Her hands worked nimbly at removing and transplanting one Sharingan for another. It was strange, the way it worked- when she had placed Obito's eye in the clear preserving liquid, the jutsu it held for years deactivated and swirled into a shade of clouded onyx. It had gone blind.

Praying that Shisui's would react well with Kakashi's system, she set the eye in place and poured chakra into his system. The foreign organ often was rejected by the body, and by pumping foreign energy into the patient, their body targeted the chakra. It was a plan, that, along with several medications, would help implanted organs to heal quickly. And with Kakashi's ability as a ninja on the line, Sakura was willing to try even the unconventional to help.

Tsunade's heels clicked on the cold tile floor of the ER, several nurses muttering their hellos. Suddenly, the pinkette realized she wasn't in the room alone. Her concentration had left her to forget that Shizune had been watching patiently throughout the procedure. Now, her shishou stood to appreciate her progress on the jonin.

"He'll be fine in no time thanks to you," Shizune smiled, gloved hands meeting together.

Tsunade nodded, a smirk growing on her lips. "Just as I'd expect from my student."

After several quiet minutes of chakra infusions, Sakura paused the treatment to wipe her brow.

A hand came to rest on her shoulder. "I think he can rest from now on," Tsunade advised.

Sakura nodded, her ponytailed hair shaking in exhaustion. "Okay."

* * *

Sasuke sat quietly in his wife's office. He assumed she was in surgery after he saw his brother had left a note on his kitchen counter. As he re-read the scripted words, they seemed surreal. Like they weren't talking about something as dear as their cousin's eye, but rather something like where they wanted to eat out the next time they got the chance. Ichiraku's, or somewhere new? Give Kakashi Shisui's eye, or leave it be?

He shook his head. It was useless to let an eye sit idly by when he knew it would be put to use. He felt, in a sense, that Itachi wanted the eye to be farmed out somewhere outside the clan. Kakashi was the best fit for that.

The other puzzling thing was Sakura's sandal, which he had left sitting on her desk. Occasionally, he poked it to ensure himself that what had happened at least seemed to still be going on. She had acted like she wasn't mad at him anymore, and for that, he was grateful.

Slowly, he felt his hand rise higher on his face. He had been leaning his jaw against it, but in his drifting into the unconsciousness of sleep, his head had grown heavier until his hand pressed into his eyebrow. "Hn," he muttered as he heard a knock on the door.

Suddenly, he straightened and wished he hadn't been sitting at her desk. His eyes bored uncertainly at the doorknob as it turned in its half circle.

Pink tresses and a high-pitched yawn told him hello in a way that only she could. He stood to his feet and pulled her shoe with him.

The hand that covered her mouth lazily waved at him moments later. She was exhausted, he realized, and he wanted nothing more than to scoop her up and carry her home. But she might've still been mad at him. He'd need to find out.

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn?" He found himself intrigued by the inquisitive upturn of her eyebrow. Following her line of sight, he landed his eyes on her sandal in his hand.

"Why do you- oh, I left it there."

"Yeah. Cinderella worried me by running away," he mumbled, vaguely remembering the fairy tale.

"Did you have to go throughout the entire kingdom to find me?"

"No. Your pink hair kinda helps."

"Will I have to cut my feet to fit into this?" She laughed.

"I don't remember that part," he shrugged, lifting her foot into her sandal. "But I think you're in the clear." With a small amount of courage, he smirked up at her. His stomach flopped all at once when he saw her smile back.

As he stood to his feet, she laughed the chuckle of an exhausted woman. "My Prince Charming." Her hands wound themselves around his neck and he tensed.

"My Princess," he whispered so she nearly couldn't hear. His hands supported her back and curved around her legs, drawing her close to him. With ease, he teleported the two of them back to their house. If the hospital needed her, they could find her. For now, she would rest.

* * *

The next morning, Sakura awoke to the smell of sausage cooking and the crackle of the oil it produced. Her mouth watered at the prospect, and she flailed her arms in her bed to try and lift herself up. After succeeding at finding her strength, she rubbed her eyes and kicked the covers off of her legs. Her feet touched the cold wooden floor tentatively, but the smells drew her towards them more than the cold repelled her.

It didn't occur to her, until she caught sight of a tall man wearing her apron, that she was back in her own house. That she had likely slept next to Sasuke. And now, the man who had just recently called her an adulteress was cooking her breakfast.

"I said I was sorry," he insisted, sensing her presence. "I wanted to prove it."

Her keen sleepiness slurred her senses, but she recognized a pink tint rising in intensity on her husband's neck. "This doesn't fix everything," she muttered, sitting down at their breakfast table.

"I know," he admitted. He hadn't expected it to.

"Then why're you doing it?"

He was quiet for a few moments. The sizzling of the sausage cooking mingled with the less obvious sound of frying eggs. "Because I love you."

Sakura choked on the coffee she had found in front of her. She knew it was true, really, deep in her heart, but a small part of her wanted to protest. "Then why'd you just assume that I was cheating?"

His form slumped and a sigh labored out of him. It was as if he didn't want to answer, but he did. "I don't deserve you. I thought you'd realized that." It was his quietest whisper yet.

Sakura sipped the liquid caffeine again. Realizing it was just the way she liked it, she let her lips curl up in a satisfied smile. "I love you, too."

* * *

**A/N:** _Effectively, the story ends here. There'll be a wrap-up chapter to follow sometime as AP tests and finals wind down, but this ends the main story. What have y'all thought? Anything you'd like me to include in the next chapter? Anything to write on after this? I've decided to scrap my high school AU as it stands and re-write a slightly different version of it once summer hits. I'd like for you to read my other work in the mean time, though, and give me pointers! Review, review, review! I love reading all of them :) _


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